Indonesian island quake kills at least 14

A POWERFUL earthquake that struck the Indonesian tourist island of Lombok yesterday killed at least 14 people, injured scores more and damaged thousands of homes, officials said.

Five children were among those killed by the 6.4 magnitude early morning quake, which triggered landslides on popular mountain hiking routes.

Local officials declared a three-day state of emergency after scores of aftershocks sparked fear among survivors. More than 120 tremors were recorded, the biggest with a magnitude of 5.7, Indonesia’s meteorology agency said.

“Based on reports, 14 people died, 162 were injured and thousands of homes were damaged,” an Indonesian disaster mitigation agency spokesman said in a statement, confirming that five of the dead were children.

The constant aftershocks sparked terrified shouts among scores of people made homeless in the eastern village of Sembalun in the district of the same name. Some 200 people from 35 families whose houses were damaged or destroyed had pitched tents there.

“People are traumatised and too scared to return home for fear the aftershocks could destroy their homes completely,” the New Straits Times reported.

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismic activity hot spot.