Deadly earthquake-triggered landslide hits Lombok, Indonesia

A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.5 km hit Mount Rinjani, Indonesia at 07:07 UTC (14:07 local time) on March 17, 2019, triggering deadly landslide at the Tiu Kelep Waterfall in Bayan district. The quake hit at a depth of 23.6 km (14.7 miles).
Indonesian authorities are reporting M5.8 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles) followed by M5.2 aftershock at 07:09 UTC.
According to a statement released by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, the quake caused a large landslide at the Tiu Kelep Waterfall in Bayan district, killing several people and trapping about 40.
"There were about 40 tourists affected by the landslide. Most of the victims were Malaysians and domestic tourists," the administration spokesman said in a statement.
Image credit: Google, TW/SAM
The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency and the North Lombok Health Agency dispatched four ambulances to the scene, as well as medical and rescue personnel to aid and relocate victims.
At 12:35 UTC, the spokesman for Indonesia's disaster management agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said 2 people were killed and 44 injured. 32 homes collapsed and 499 were damaged.
Dampak gempa 5,4 SR di Lombok Timur : 2 orang meninggal dunia, 44 orang luka-luka, 32 unit rumah roboh dan 499 unit rumah rusak sedang dan rusak ringan.
2 orang meninggal dunia adalah wisatawan asal Malaysia yang tertimpa material longsoran di kawasan Air Terjun Tiu Kelep. pic.twitter.com/NM0IqEqpnh
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) March 17, 2019
Video proses evakuasi korban #Gempa Lombok (Wisatawan) longsornya air terjun Tiu Kelep
pic.twitter.com/6lRYpN0nyn— Agung (@Jelantik5) March 17, 2019
This region was one of several badly damaged areas after a series of earthquakes hit the island in July and August 2018, killing more than 500 people and leaving more than 1 500 injured.
Featured image credit: @Jelantik5
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Related articles
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.