Jakarta: At least 39 people were killed when a strong earthquake struck Indonesia's popular tourist island of Lombok on Sunday, triggering a tsunami warning, one week after another quake in the same area killed more than a dozen people.
Updates
10.45pm
A disaster agency official tells Indonesian TV that death toll in Lombok earthquake has risen to 39, according to an AP report.
8.09 pm Dubai time
Indonesian official tells MetroTV that at least three people have been killed after strong quake strikes Lombok island
The latest quake caused people to flee their homes and move to higher ground.
Authorities said the quake may have caused some damage. A Twitter post sent by @Sutopo_PN shows scenes inside a hospital damaged by the quake.
Kerusakan bangunan RSUD Karangasem Bali akibat gempa 7 SR dengan pusat gempa 18 km barat laut Lombok Timur. Intensitas gempa dirasakan VI MMI di Karangasem. Umumnya bangunan mengalami kerusakan jika diguncang gempa di atas VI MMI. pic.twitter.com/WX9XS1CVop
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) August 5, 2018
7.45 pm
Tsunami warning lifted
Indonesia lifted a tsunami warning that was imposed after a magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Bali and Lombok islands on Sunday. Officials said airports on both islands were operating normally despite minor damage.
"Both airports are operating as normal, now we are cleaning up the airports. Some parts of the ceiling have fallen off, but no one is hurt," said Handy Heryudhitiawan, corporate secretary at operator Angkasa Pura 1, which runs both airports.
The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.0 quake struck early Sunday evening at a depth of 10.5 kilometres.
Its epicenter was about 2 kilometres east-southeast of Loloan.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning after the quake struck.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told KompasTV that the quake strongly jolted Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, and may have caused damage there.
Damage reported at Bali Airport after 7 magnitude quake on neighbouring Island of Lombok pic.twitter.com/lMFV3smAop
— David Lipson (@davidlipson) August 5, 2018
He said the quake was also felt in parts of neighboring Bali island, leaving some airport facilities damaged.
Significant 7.0 Earthquake this morning in Lombok Island in Indonesia. Tsunami warnings were issued. pic.twitter.com/rgOKyIcXAY
— Jeffrey Ray (@cbs11jeffrey) August 5, 2018
Iwan Asmara, an official from the local Disaster Mitigation Agency, said people poured out from their houses in panic to move to higher ground, particularly in Mataram and North Lombok district.
A magnitude 6.4 quake hit Lombok on July 29, killing 16 people.
Like Bali, Lombok is known for pristine beaches and mountains. Hotels and other buildings in both locations are not allowed to exceed the height of coconut trees.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
