Hanoi (VNA) – At least five people were killedand dozens others wounded as multiple earthquakes again rocked Lombok island inIndonesia on August 19, reported Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson of theIndonesian National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB).
The first quake, measuring 6.5 magnitudes, struck 6kmnortheast of Sembalunlawang in Lombok at the depth of 7.9 km around 11:10am(local time), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It triggeredlandslides and left people fleeing from their homes
It was followed nearly 12 hours later by a late evening6.9-magnitude quake and at least five more significant aftershocks.
Many houses, buildings and roads were severely damagedwhile power cut in many areas on the island, the BNPB spokesperson said.
Local authorities are continuing to collect reports ondeaths and injuries.
The latest quakes amplified local trauma resulted fromthe quakes hitting the resort island on July 27 and August 5, claiming nearly500 lives and injuring 1,300 more. Nearly 353,000 local inhabitants lost theirhouses to the quakes.
Indonesia has suffered about 348 million USD in damagedue to the two quakes.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the"Ring of Fire," the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptionsthat circles virtually the entire Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massivemagnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000people of different nationalities.-VNA
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