APD | Two Malaysian tourists killed in Indonesia’s Lombok earthquake

By APD writer Aditya Nugraha

JAKARTA, March 18 (APD) – Indonesia concluded on Monday evacuation on bodies of two Malaysian tourists killed in the fresh earthquake that occurred in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province’s destination of Lombok Island on Sunday.

Those Malaysian tourists were killed in Tiu Kelep waterfall when they spent their weekend vacation in the popular tour spot in North Lombok regency with their group.  

An Indonesian teenager boy was also killed in the same location when the earthquake occurred on Sunday afternoon.

“We have searched all suspected locations and we assured there was no more victim remaining left in the waterfall. That Malaysian tourist body was the last one we evacuated from there,” Head of Provincial Search and Rescue (SAR) Team I Nyoman Sidakarya said after concluded the activities.

In different occasion, Head of NTB Tourism Office Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said that provincial government and the tourism ministry provides free flights, hotel accommodations and medical expenses for Malaysian tourists affected by the earthquake.

“NTB province provides free hotels and medical expenses for them, while the tourism ministry provides the flights to return the bodies and the tourists back to Kuala Lumpur,” he said in the NTB province capital of Mataram later in the day.

He said the killed Malaysian tourists were identified as Tai Sieu Kim and Lim Sai Wah, meanwhile the Indonesian teenager boy was identified as Tommy, a resident of North Lombok regency.

Lalu said that 9 Malaysian tourists are now treated in a Mataram hospital due to their injuries.

The killed Malaysian tourists visited the waterfall with their families in a group that consisted of 27 people, Lalu said.

The facilities for the Malaysian tourists affected by the earthquake are provided under a coordination with representatives of Malaysian embassy, he said.

Besides the killed three tourists, the earthquake has injured a total of 32 ones in the waterfall, NTB province administration noted.

Indonesia National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said earlier that epicenter of the Sunday’s earthquake was in east Lombok. The initial earthquake was measured at a magnitude of 5.4 magnitude, followed by several aftershocks.

The agency said the earthquake was a shallow one, prompted by seismic movements around Lombok volcano of Mount Rinjani.

The agency added that the earthquake has affected 2,108 residents in east and north Lombok regencies, injured 182 and damaged 526 houses in the two regencies.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)