The island of Lombok has been jolted by a strong earthquake just two weeks after another quake killed 460 people. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.
National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that activity on the island was normal and Mount Rinjani, where hundreds of trekkers were stranded after the July 29 quake, was closed and there were no tourists there.
Lombok suffered damage running to more than 5 trillion rupiah ($342 million) from the August 5 earthquake, authorities said last week, putting the death toll at more than 430.
More than 350,000 people fled their homes after that quake to shelter in government-provided tents or makeshift structures in open fields. Authorities said aid was slow getting to some of the hardest-hit areas as they are remote.
The latest earthquake measuring magnitude 6.3 struck the island on Sunday, causing panic in villages and a number of landslides.
The US Geological Survey said the quake was centered in the northeast of the island at a relatively shallow depth of 7 kilometers (4 miles).
The national disaster agency said it was still assessing the consequences of the quake, but that there had been no reports of casualties or damage.
“The earthquake caused people to panic and flee their houses,” spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Metro TV. “We are still checking.”
He said landslides had been reported in a national park.
Source: Reuters , Deutsche Welle
Photo courtesy of Associated Press