190 Malaysians evacuated
KUALA LUMPUR: About 190 Malaysians who were in Lombok, Indonesia, when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the island on Sunday, have been evacuated, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said.
The evacuees include Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim and his delegation who were there to attend a regional meeting.
“The Malaysian embassy is facilitating the return of all Malaysians in Lombok,” Saifuddin said.
He said evacuees had been transported to Jakarta, adding that many would return home on AirAsia flights on Sunday and yesterday.
He said Malaysia offered to provide humanitarian aid to Indonesia, but had yet to receive an official request from its government.
He added that Malaysian nongovernmental organisation Global Peace Malaysia was on the island to help victims.
The earthquake, which has killed 91 people, injured thousands and stranded hundreds of foreign tourists, struck just a week after a 6.4 quake rattled the island, killing 17 people, including a Malaysian hiker.
The latest quake was more powerful than the previous one, and struck at a depth of 10km, said the United States Geological Survey.
The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta said it was working to transfer Malaysians in Lombok to safer locales.
As of yesterday, there were 161 Malaysians in Lombok, all of whom had been contacted and reported to be safe.
The embassy said: “At this time, Indonesian authorities are coordinating search-and-rescue missions for those affected by the earthquake.
“In this matter, the embassy is working with Indonesian agencies to relocate Malaysians to safer areas.
“Malaysian citizens in Lombok are advised to stay calm and follow the orders of local authorities. They are advised to stay in safe areas and avoid going to high-risk areas, including buildings damaged (by the earthquake).”
It asked for Malaysians at the Lombok and Ngurah Rai (Bali) airports to remain patient as congestion was expected.
“Airline companies are helping with the rescheduling of flights out of Lombok.
“(However), tremors are happening in Lombok, so Malaysian citizens planning to travel to Lombok in the near future are reminded to always be careful and take heed of things that are happening.”
It said those travelling to Lombok should follow the directions of local authorities and register with the embassy.
Those in need of consular assistance should contact +62-215 224 947 or +62-813 808 130 36 (WhatsApp), or email mwjakarta@kln.gov.my or jkonsular@gmail.com