2 dead, dozens of tourists trapped after landslides in Lombok
18 March, 2019
Two people were killed and more than 30 foreign and domestic tourists are believed to be trapped after landslides hit a waterfall site on Indonesia's tourist island of Lombok on Sunday (Mar 17), a disaster agency official said on Sunday (Mar 17).
The landslide was triggered by two moderate earthquakes.
According to an embassy spokesman, the two who died are Malaysians - deputy executive editor-in-chief of Sin Chew Daily Tai Siew Kim and another woman by the name of Lim Sai Wah.
Deputy Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia, Zamshari Shaharan said 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 landslides, the head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency Muhammad Rum told Kompas TV.
A total of 22 Malaysian tourists were reportedly trapped in the landslides, according to Bernama.
Search and rescue efforts have only managed to evacuate three people.
"We hope they all survive. We cannot be sure yet, the evacuation is still underway," Rum said.
A series of quakes and aftershocks killed nearly 500 people in Lombok last year and caused damages to buildings and public infrastructure worth an estimated total of US$500 million.
In a separate incident, flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain in the easternmost province of Papua have killed at least 58 people, injured dozens and displaced more than 4,000, authorities said on Sunday.
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