THE Indonesia earthquake that rocked the island of Lombok has seen the death toll rise to 142 as the Red Cross swooped in to help thousands trapped in the aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude tremor.
In the second major quake to hit the island in a week, more than 200 people have been injured, according to the Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BMPB), Indonesia’s disaster relief agency.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers work their way through the rubble of 13,000 destroyed homes.
The largest number of people killed were in North Lombok where 72 people died and 63 were injured, BMPD said.
A person died on the Gili islands and two were killed in the neighbouring island of Bali where the quake destroyed buildings and smashed cars after debris fell onto vehicles.
No tourists have been killed, but many were injured in stampedes to safety and while trying to get onto boats to escape, fearing a tsunami would hit.
Long lines formed at the island’s main airport in Mataram as tourists cut their holidays short.
President of Indonesia Joko Widodo declared a state of emergency for the devastated nation and expressed “deep sorrow for our brothers” before ordering the coordination of all military ranks.
He said: “This is so that we can handle immediately the evacuation of the dead and injured victims, as well as the logistics among others.
“There are also many tourists, so I have ordered the Coordinating Minister to deal with them as well and not let there be lacking in essential services, especially relating to flight schedules.”
The quake hit at around 11.45pm local time yesterday and happened exactly one week after a 6.4 magnitude quake.
Police, military and the Red Cross have been dispatched to help the thousands of locals who have lost their homes.
Up to 2,000 tarpaulins and 2,000 blankets have already been handed out to those affected.
The earthquake struck at a depth of 9.3 miles and triggered a tsunami warning from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, though this was cancelled two hours later.
The region continues to be evacuated today but authorities have said the sheer volume of people in Lombok means the process is “gradual”.
No tourists have been killed, but many were injured in stampedes
Up to 1,000 people have been evacuated from Lombok and the Gili islands so far.
Yesterday’s earthquake also caused 130 powerful aftershocks that sent people screaming into the streets.
Flights in and out of Lombok and Bali are operating normally at both international airports, which reported minimal damage.
The quake hit at around 11.45pm local time