Indonesia earthquake: Rescue operation hampered over damaged bridges, roads
Indonesian president calls for immediate evacuation of Lombok quake victims
Over 200 have been injured and 91 have been killed, a majority of which was by the falling of debris from collapsed buildings.
A powerful earthquake of 7 magnitudestruck popular tourist destination of Indonesia, Lombok on Sunday.
Over 200 havebeen injured and 91 have been killed, a majority of which was by the falling of debris from collapsed buildings.
Following the major quake that jolted the holiday island, rescuers are fanning acrossLombok to rescue tourists and locals who survived in the rubble houses, mosques and schools.
The Indonesian military is also sending in a ship with medical aid, supplies and logistical support.
According to reports,the rescue authorities are facing various challenges since the roads are all damaged and the debris has not been cleared away. Three bridges were also reported to be damaged.
The authorities are also suffering from a lack of personnel issue due to which rescuers are having a hard time in reaching some locations.
Rescuers were also quotedsaying that in Gili island in Trawangan there are not even enough boats to evacuate everyone.
News agency Reutersreported that the number of victims is expected to rise once the rubble of more than 13,000 flattened and damaged houses is cleared away, but due to the lack of heavy equipment, this would take time.
Amid the incident, a dramatic video was posted on Twitter showing hundreds of tourists crammed in one boat on the Gili island as evacuations efforts are underway.
Last night a strong earthquake has struck the Indonesian tourist island of Lombok, killing at least 91 people and shaking neighbouring Bali, one of Southeast Asia's leading tourist destinations.
It was followed by two light to moderate secondary quakes and nearly two dozen aftershocks.
Power and communications were cut in some areas of Lombok, with landslides and a collapsed bridge hampering access to the north.
Indonesia sits on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
In 2014, a devastating tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.