Earthquake struck the island of Lombok
On 29 July 2018, the Indonesian island Lombok was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 6.4. Several weaker earthquakes followed until an even stronger earthquake of magnitude 6.9 occurred on 5 August 2018. It caused heavy damage to buildings as well as infrastructure and claimed almost 100 lives. The shocks were also felt strongly in Bali and caused several damages. In principle, further possibly strong earthquakes have to be anticipated during the next days to months, and the possibility of an even stronger earthquake in the near future cannot be ruled out. The current earthquakes occured in a shallow depth between 10 and 30 km; therefore, even weaker earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 or more might cause damages.
Read more...Indonesia sits atop the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a seismically highly active area that also includes countries such as Japan, the Philippines or New Zealand. Ninety percent of earthquakes worldwide occur along the Ring of Fire; therefore, Indonesia is subject to a high earthquake hazard. Despite the regional differences within the country, earthquakes as strong as the Lombok earthquake can occur anywhere at any given time. Such strong shocks can be expected to occur less frequently in areas that are less at risk, such as Lombok, than in high risk areas such as Sumatra; however, the possibility can never be fully ruled out.
People who would like to travel to Indonesia during the next days or months are recommended to refer to their travel agency or local accommodation for more information on the current situation. Travellers currently in Indonesia should follow the recommendations of the local authorities as well as the most recent developments on the news. You can find general tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake abroad here.
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