Quake hits Indonesia triggering landslides

A strong earthquake rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok yesterday, triggering landslides, damaging buildings and sending people fleeing just two weeks after a tremor killed more than 480 people there. The 6.3-magnitude quake, centered in East Lombok, struck at a relatively shallow depth of seven kilometers (four miles) and was felt across the island, officials said.

It was the third major quake in less than a month to rock the island, after deadly tremors on July 29 and August 5 and numerous aftershocks. “The earthquake caused people to panic and flee their houses,” national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Metro TV. “There have been no reports of death or (serious) damage but people are traumatized.”

At least one person suffered minor injuries while two more fainted from shock, he added.