Authorities have announced that one Malaysian was killed in the Sunday morning earthquake that struck Lombok island, Indonesia, as Siti Nur Iesmawida Ismail. The 30-year-old avid hiker had just climbed Mount Rinjani, the second highest volcano in the archipelago nation.
Social media posts showed a Melaka-born, smiling Siti, with the caption “I DID IT!”
Six Malaysians were injured when the 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit before 7am, with many still in bed.
Fellow hikers who had passed Siti’s group are counting themselves incredibly lucky to have escaped uninjured, as they were not far from the victim’s group. Khairul Azim was at the volcano’s basecamp, while Siti was staying at a home stay a few kilometers further down the mountain.
Khairul believes that his group were lucky to be in tents that morning, and not inside a building. Initial reports state that Siti was crushed by a pillar inside the home she was staying in. She was taken to a local clinic where she died shortly after arriving.
Many Malaysians found themselves stuck at the foot of the mountain, with some giving social media followers live updates of their conditions. Many roads are closed as they are badly damaged, with stranded tourists being airlifted out via helicopters.
Local Indonesians had provided shelter for hiker Nursakinah Hasman and her group, before they managed to get flights back to Malaysia.
Another hiker posted a clip showing her staying at a temporary evacuation campsite, asking followers to pray for those affected on the island.
Malaysia will be repatriating Siti’s remains back as soon as possible, while the foreign office confirms that six Malaysians were injured, though not seriously.
