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Thousands flee Indonesian islands after deadly Lombok earthquake

It was the second quake in a week to hit Lombok and authorities said at least 98 people were killed

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Chief Water Police of Lombok Dewa Wijaya takes a picture in front of hundreds of people trying to leave the Gili Islands after an earthquake in Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia. Photo: Reuters

Indonesia on Monday sent rescuers fanning out across the holiday island of Lombok and evacuated more than 2,000 tourists after a powerful earthquake killed at least 98 people and damaged thousands of buildings.

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The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake sparked terror among tourists and locals alike, coming just a week after another deadly tremor surged through Lombok and killed 17 people.

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Rescuers searched for survivors in the rubble of houses, mosques and schools destroyed in the latest disaster on Sunday evening.

An injured boy receives medical help. Photo: AFP
An injured boy receives medical help. Photo: AFP

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there were fears a number of people were trapped in the ruins of a collapsed mosque in the northern village of Lading-Lading. Footage he posted on Twitter showed the large concrete mosque lying in piles of rubble.

A lack of heavy equipment and shattered roads were hampering efforts to reach survivors in the mountainous north and east of the island, which had been hardest hit.

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