Island expats on alert for families

THE Far North’s Indonesian community has rallied together after an earthquake rocked Lombok on Sunday.

The small community of Indonesian expats in Cairns, already a close knit group, was in action checking on its members yesterday.

“We are deeply shocked on what happened in Lombok especially on an earthquake of that magnitude,” a spokesman from the Cairns IndonesianAustralian Association said.

“Our thoughts are with our brothers and sisters in Lombok affected by the disaster.”

Hariana Woodward of Edmonton has family in Lombok and said their house in the city of Mataram was damaged by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

She said residents feared a repeat of the 2006 Boxing Day tsunami disaster that ravaged Java.

“People in my complex are still too scared to go back – they are eating and doing everything outside,” Ms Woodward said.

She said a government tsunami warning after the quake caused panic as people tried to escape to higher ground.

“Lombok is a small island – people tried to get out of town,” Ms Woodward said. “I can imagine their fear.” Ms Woodward has three brothers and two sisters on Lombok, all of whom are safe.

She lives in Cairns with her husband and children.

The quake on Sunday evening killed at least 91 people.

She said her brother checked on her house which was damaged despite being far from the epicentre in northern Lombok.

“My brother checked on my house but I told him to look after his own family, we can check on my house later on,” Ms Woodward said.

It was the second deadly quake in a week to hit Lombok. A July 29 quake killed 16 people and damaged hundreds of houses, some of which collapsed in Sunday evening’s magnitude 7.0 tremor, killing those inside.

“They didn’t expect a second one in such a short time,” Ms Woodward said.

“Lots of buildings were damaged from the poor construction.”

She said she had been up all night worrying about her family. “I miss my family,” she said. “I didn’t sleep last night.”

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Picture: AFP ORDEAL: Hospital patients and relatives wait outside after being evacuated when an earthquake rocked Indonesia's Lombok island, in Mataram.