Indonesia: Tourists evacuated off islands near Lombok August 6 /update 5

Event

Indonesian officials announced on Monday, August 6, that tourists are being evacuated from three islands northwest of Lombok following the earthquake on Sunday, August 5. At least 1000 foreign and Indonesian tourists were evacuated from the islands of Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air as of 09:35 (local time). No fatalities were reported among the tourists in the area.

Recovery efforts continue on Lombok, where thousands of homes were damaged. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the majority of the 82 confirmed fatalities were caused by collapsing homes. Hundreds of other people were injured by the quake. Aftershocks are possible in the area in the coming hours and days.

Context

The earthquake was originally registered as a magnitude-7 but had been downgraded to a magnitude-6.9 by the US Geological Survey (USGS). It struck off the northern coast of Lombok at 19:46 on August 5. A tsunami warning was issued for affected areas but was lifted later in the evening of August 5.

Indonesia lies within the active seismic zone known as "the Pacific Ring of Fire." On July 29, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southwest of Lelongken, resulting in at least 14 deaths.

Advice

Individuals present in the impacted region are advised to monitor the situation, be prepared for further aftershocks, and heed all instructions issued by local authorities.  

During an earthquake, individuals are advised to protect themselves as much as possible from falling debris if indoors (e.g. under a table), to move away from windows and exterior walls, and to not attempt to leave the building unless there is an immediate danger. If outdoors, move away from any tall structures, such as buildings, utility wires, and streetlights.