The death toll of 6.4 earthquake that rattled Lombok on Sunday morning, is slowly climbing, now reaching 16.
The earthquake could be felt in Bali and Sumbawa but the devastation was most severe in Lombok, where the epicenter was recorded 28 kilometers northwest of East Lombok, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
There have been 11 reported casualties in East Lombok, four in North Lombok, and one Malaysian, who was hiking Mount Rinjani, according to the latest data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) shared on Monday afternoon.
Five of the deaths on record were children, reports Bali Post.
At least 160 people have been injured.
Over 5,000 people have been displaced, forced to evacuate. They are mostly spread between East Lombok with 2,663 evacuees and 2,478 evacuees in North Lombok.
An estimated 1,454 houses have been destroyed, spread across five districts in Lombok.
BNPB is coordinating with their regional counterpart, BPBD to administer aid in the form of funds, logistical support, and equipment like refugee tents, mattresses, family kits, and ready-to-eat food.
The governor of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) administrative zone that encompasses Lombok has declared an emergency status for a five day period from July 29 to August 2.
An estimated 560 hikers trapped on Lombok’s Mount Rinjani, sitting 3,726 meters above sea level, began to descend yesterday when guides found an alternate route down. The hikers had been unable to go down the mountain when Sunday’s earthquake triggered landslides that blocked the main trails.
Mount Rinjani is a popular mountain with hikers who often break up the route into a three-day, two-night trek.
“At the moment both domestic and international tourists are on their way down,” I Gusti Lanang Wiswananda, a spokesman for West Nusa Tenggara search and rescue, told AFP yesterday.
Evakuasi jenasah pendaki Gunung Rinjani dengan helicopter. Pada 31/7/2018 pukul 11.25 WITA jenasah tiba di Posko Lapangan Camat Sembalun. Jenasah langsung dibawa ke RS Bhayangkara Mataram. #WonderfulLombok #lombokearthquake pic.twitter.com/DShVTrkPoc
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) July 31, 2018
