Latest Quake Claims 10 Lives On Indonesia's Lombok Island

Ten people died and 24 were injured in a strong earthquake Sunday night on Lombok island that is recovering from several quakes earlier this month that had claimed over 400 lives.

JAKARTA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2018 ) :Ten people died and 24 were injured in a strong earthquake Sunday night on Lombok island that is recovering from several quakes earlier this month that had claimed over 400 lives.

Sunday night's 6.9-magnitude quake, which occurred at about 8 pm (9 pm in Malaysia) triggered 101 aftershocks, nine of them exceeding magnitude five on the Richter scale, as of 11 am Monday, according to the Indonesian National board for Disaster Management.

The head of the agency's Information Data and Public Relations Centre, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said search and rescue squads were on the ground and it was feared that the number of dead and injured could rise.

"An earthquake of 6.9 magnitude rocked Lombok and the surrounding areas at 7.

56 pm on Sunday. The quake triggered 101 aftershocks, nine of them exceeding magnitude five on the Richter scale, as of 11 am," he said.

During the quake, many people were outside their homes or at the relief centres, which saved a large number from death and injury, he said in a statement.

Sutopo said those killed were struck by the crumbling walls of houses or buildings.

According to the agency, Lombok was rocked by more than 600 quakes and aftershocks since Aug 5.

A 7-magnitude quake which struck on Aug 5 claimed over 400 lives, injured over 1,000 people and destroyed or damaged 100,000 houses and buildings.

Operations are ongoing to search and rescue victims of the quakes who may be trapped in debris, even as the aftershocks continue to rock the island.