Malaysia's Sin Chew deputy chief editor dies in landslide after earthquake in Lombok
18 March, 2019
An editor from Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily newspaper was killed in a landslide in Lombok, Indonesia, after an earthquake on Sunday (Mar 17), a Malaysian Embassy spokesman has confirmed.
Tai Siew Kim, who was the Chinese-language news outlet's deputy chief editor, was at the Tiu Kelep waterfall, Senaru Baru, in North Lombok when tragedy struck.
A Malaysian Embassy spokesman said the earthquake, which measured 5.8 on the Richter Scale, rocked Lombok at 2.07pm on Sunday.
An aftershock measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale was recorded about two minutes later.
The quakes triggered landslides at the waterfall Ms Tai was at, North Lombok Regional Secretariat and Protocol head Mujaddid Muhas said in a statement.
He added that there were 40 tourists, 22 of whom were Malaysians, at the waterfall when the quakes happened, and that two people have died.
Rescue efforts are ongoing.
The 56-year-old deputy chief editor was holidaying in Lombok with her son and a group of her old schoolmates, Bernama reported.
They had been on the island since Mar 14 and were supposed to fly back to Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Her son, 20, was injured in the landslide and is currently receiving treatment in a local hospital on the island.
Tai's husband, China Press' editor-in-chief Teoh Yang Khoon, is scheduled to fly to Lombok on Monday morning.
MALAYSIANS RESCUED FROM LANDSLIDE
The first quake with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale took place at 2.07pm and the epicentre was 24km northeast of East Lombok-West Nusa Tenggara.
The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) reported that the first quake was followed by an aftershock measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale with the epicentre 7km northwest of East Lombok-West Nusa Tenggara just two minutes later.
Ms Tai's death was confirmed by the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia. It added that another six Malaysians who were at the Tiu Kelep waterfall when the quake struck are still missing and unaccounted for.
"All the other Malaysians affected by the incident have been rescued. They include six injured people who are receiving treatment at a health centre in Lombok," said the Malaysian Embassy spokesman.
Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Sunday night that Ms Tai had died in the landslide.
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