JAKARTA, 19 March 2019: Two people were killed and more than 30 foreign and domestic tourists remain trapped after landslides hit an area around a waterfall on Indonesia’s tourist island of Lombok on Sunday.
Two earthquakes triggered the landslide measured at 5.4 to 5.9 magnitude.
A Malaysian embassy spokesman confirmed the two victims were Malaysians – deputy executive editor-in-chief of Sin Chew Daily Tai Siew Kim and another woman identified Lim Sai Wah.
All told seven Malaysians were injured in the incident and were receiving treatment at a hospital in Lombok.
About 40 Malaysian and domestic tourists were visiting the Tiu Kelep waterfall, north of the island, around the time of the landslide, the head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency Muhammad Rum reported to Kompas TV.
Lombok, which is just east of Bali, was struck by a major quake last August that killed more than 300 people and left thousands homeless as well inflicting damage estimated at USD500 million.
Indonesia is located on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and regularly experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity.
In a separate incident, flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain in the easternmost province of Papua killed at least 60 people and displaced more than 4,000 residents, authorities reported late on Sunday. (Source: Wire services and Channel NewsAsia)
