LOMBOK HIT AGAIN BY 7.0-MAGNITUDE QUAKE

Minute-long tremor triggers panic among people at Lombok International Airport

BARELY a week after being struck by an earthquake, the Indonesian island of Lombok was once again rocked yesterday, this time by a 7.0-magnitude tremor.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at 7.46pm local time, occurred at a depth of 10km, with the epicentre located around 5km off Desaanyar.

The Indonesian Meteorological Agency said a tsunami warning of a potential tidal wave issued earlier had been lifted.

The warning covered north Lombok, east and north Bali, the north side of east Java, southeast Madura, south Kalimantan, and south Sulawesi.

The quake was more powerful than the one which hit Lombok on July 29. That quake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, claimed 16 lives.

Harian Metro reporter Salman Hamat, who is at the Lombok International Airport, reported that the airport’s main terminal building shook due to the quake.

The minute-long shaking triggered panic among people at the terminal. Matters were made worse when the electricity was temporarily cut off, leaving the terminal in darkness for almost a minute before back-up power kicked in.

Airport staff, however, instructed people to vacate the terminal and gather at the runway for their safety.

No casualties have been reported at press time.

Harian Metro reporter Shuhada Mansor, who is on Karimunjawa Island, said the quake also caused panic among islanders when the emergency siren was sounded.

She said although the quake was not felt on the island, locals feared that the quake would trigger a tsunami.