INDONESIA—An earthquake hit Indonesia’s Lombok Island, a popular tourist destination for beaches and surfing, at 6:47 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 29. Sixteen people were killed and over 160 injured. Indonesia is susceptible to earthquakes because it is located in the Ring of Fire. The earthquake was caused by movement along the Flores plate.
Earthquake.usgs.gov indicated that an earthquake with a 6 magnitude or larger can: “Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimneys broken.”
The earthquake had a 6.4 magnitude and struck at a depth of 4.4 miles. The US Geological Survey reported that the epicenter of the earthquake was about 31 miles north east from Mataram. According to reports, over 14000 homes have been damaged.
The earthquake caused a landslide at Mount Rinjani stranding over 680 people. The National Weather Service reported over 270 aftershocks since the earthquake. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Indonesia’s Disaster spokesperson, indicated that most of the deaths were the result of falling debris.
After the initial earthquake, Indonesian Red Cross tweeted, “PMI teams mount an immediate response as a 6.4 magnitude #earthquake strikes #Lombok island. We are checking people’s needs, giving first aid and supporting search and rescue, especially in Sebalun distric, the worst affected areas. #PMISiapBantu.”
The Indonesian Red Cross is helping people recover from the natural disaster.
