People walk past a damaged road at Tanjung village in northern Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province on August 7, 2018, two days after the area was struck by an earthquake.
The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake killed at least 98 people and destroyed thousands of buildings in Lombok on August 5, just days after another deadly tremor surged through the holiday island and killed 17. / AFP PHOTO / SONNY TUMBELAKA
Five South Africans survive deadly Indonesia earthquake
Five South Africans who survived a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that shredded the island of Lombok, in Indonesia, are receiving consular assistance at the South African Embassy.
People walk past a damaged road at Tanjung village in northern Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province on August 7, 2018, two days after the area was struck by an earthquake.
The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake killed at least 98 people and destroyed thousands of buildings in Lombok on August 5, just days after another deadly tremor surged through the holiday island and killed 17. / AFP PHOTO / SONNY TUMBELAKA
The spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), Ndivhuwo Mabaya, informed, on Tuesday, that five South Africans who were in Indonesia when a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck, are safe.
Mabaya confirmed that,
“All five have been accounted for and are safe. The Department is in contact with the South African Embassy in Jakarta‚ Indonesia‚ in order to provide consular assistance to the South African citizens should it be required.”
How disastrous is a 6.9 magnitude earthquake?
Most commonly, earthquakes occur when tectonic plates rub against each other. The friction eventually causes the plates to catch on each other. Although the plates are still pushing against each other, they have stopped moving.
Over time, the build-up of stored energy in the Earth’s crust will cause a sudden release of the stored energy which will generate seismic waves causing the ground to shake.
The spot beneath the surface, where the rock breaks is named the focus of the earthquake, whereas the location right above the focus, at the surface, is known as the epicentre of the earthquake.
Earthquakes are also known to cause tsunamis in a number of cases.
Earthquakes are measured with a seismometer or what is more commonly known as a seismograph.
The magnitude of an earthquake is reported using the Richter scale, with earthquakes of magnitude 3 or lower being almost unnoticeable and 7 or higher causing severe damage over expansive areas.
What happened in Lombok, Indonesia?
The quake, which occurred on Sunday in Lombok, an island off the coast of Indonesia, has caused the deaths of at least 105 people and destroyed thousands of buildings‚ just days after another fatal tremor through the island claimed the lives of 17 people.
On Tuesday, panicked and terrified holidaymakers rushed to leave the island after it was hit with a second deadly quake. Rescuers rushed to access remote areas, where survivors are in dire need of shelter and food.
Rescuers resumed their search for survivors‚ and started the recovery of bodies in the rubble of houses‚ mosques and schools after the most recent quake.
The natural disaster is believed to have left over 20‚000 people homeless in Lombok and 236 critically injured. Appeals for medical personnel and basic supplies have been issued by authorities.
