Lombok, Bali Indonesia Struck by 2 Major Earthquakes in a Week

Map of recent earthquakes in Indonesia August 2018

Indonesia’s Pulau Lombok island has been hit with two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.4 and 6.9 within roughly a week (July 28th to August 5th, 2018). The strong aftershocks registering at magnitude 5.4, were significant and damaging to the already weakened structures in the area. The island has been struck by more than 20 earthquakes with magnitudes exceeding 4.0 in the last month alone. That is a lot of seismic energy in a very short period of time.

Unfortunately, Lombok and neighboring Bali have not escaped unscathed and are quickly seeing the death toll rise and is approaching 400 people with hundreds more injured and tens of thousands left homeless. The local construction has relied heavily on unreinforced masonry which performs poorly in earthquakes. This has resulted in complete or partial collapses trapping residents in their homes and places of worship (such as Jami Quba mosque). Rescue efforts are underway to find survivors and several have been found alive, but rescuers are racing against the clock.

As the rescue efforts continue, those who found their way to safety are in need of temporary shelter, food and medical supplies as they now find themselves homeless. A shortage of medical personnel has become particularly urgent as the number of injured has quickly overwhelmed local hospitals. The national disaster management board of Indonesia is calling for aid.

The region relies heavily on international tourism as visitors flock from around the world to take in beautiful beaches, coral reefs, and wildlife. The earthquakes and their effects have garnered international attention and one can only hope that attention will be accompanied by international support. The Red cross / Red Crescent is heavily involved in providing aid, and we’ve provided a link below in case our readers would like to offer their support.

https://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/donate/