SEMBALUN, Indonesia — A strong earthquake cut power across the Indonesian island of Lombok, toppled buildings and killed at least two people as the tourist hotspot was trying to recover from a temblor earlier this month that killed hundreds of people.
The shallow magnitude 6.9 quake that hit just after 10 p.m. Sunday was one of several powerful earthquakes in the northeast part of the island that also caused landslides. The nighttime quake was followed by strong aftershocks.
Two people died when their homes collapsed on Lombok and neighboring Sumbawa island, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho tweeted Monday morning.
People in Sembalun subdistrict, on Lombok in the shadow of Mount Rinjani, felt panic, but many were already staying in tents following the deadly quake in early August.
The Disaster Mitigation Agency said power was cut across the island, hampering efforts to assess the situation. Some houses and other buildings in Sembalun had collapsed, it said.
“People panicked and scattered,” Nugroho said. “Some people are hysterical because they feel earthquake aftershocks that are harder than before. They heard a roar that probably came from landslides in the hills and Mount Rinjani.”
Dwikorita Karnawatim, who heads Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, said buildings that haven’t collapsed so far have suffered repeated stress, and authorities have urged people to avoid both the mountain’s slopes and weakened buildings.