An earthquake in Indonesia kills at least 14 people and wounded 162

.N .- At least 14 people died and 162 others were injured by a shallow earthquake of magnitude 6.4 that shook the Indonesian island of Lombok, a popular tourist destination near Bali The earthquake damaged more than 1,000 homes and was felt throughout the region including in Bali, where no material or human damage was reported AP reported.

The United States Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was recorded at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.4 miles). Lombok district is the most affected with 10 dead, including a Malaysian citizen, said the spokesman of the Indonesian Disaster Response Agency. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. The number of victims could increase as data from other parts of the island are still collected, he added.

In addition, at least 162 people were injured including 67 hospitalized with serious injuries, adds the spokesman

The earthquake causes power outages in several districts of eastern and northern Lombok and caused a large landslide on Mount Rinjani. Rescuers evacuated more than 800 tourists from the mountain.

In East Lombok and the provincial capital of Mataram, the quake lasted only 10 seconds and forced people to flee their homes to the streets and fields, Nugroho said. . Most of the deaths occurred and injuries were caused by falling concrete slabs, he said.

Photos distributed by the agency showed damaged homes and the entrance to the popular Mount Rinjani National Park closed immediately for fear of landslides.

Images on television showed that residents were still outside their homes for fear of aftershocks, while the injured were being treated on mattresses where they were removed from partially damaged homes and some patients were leaving. a hospital. [19659002Lafemmemalaisiennedécédéefaisaitpartied'ungroupede18touristesdumêmepaysquivenaitdevisiterlemontRinjanilorsqueletremblementdeterreaébranlésamaisond'hôtesetrenverséunmurdebétonadéclaréEkaFathurrahmanchefdelapolicedeLombokSixautrespersonnesontétéblesséesdanslebâtiment

Many wounded were treated at the & # 39; outside of & # 39; a clinic have been evacuated to the & # 39; s main hospital, farthest, after the & # 39 arrival of other ambulances in the devastated town of Sembalun.

"Residents refused to enter their homes because they still felt the long aftershocks," said the official. The meteorological and geophysical agency of Indonesia recorded more than 130 aftershocks .

Like Bali, Lombok is known for its heavenly beaches and mountains. Hotels and other buildings built in both regions can not exceed the height of the coconut palms.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location in the "belt of fire" an area of ​​volcanoes and geological faults in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive 9.1-magnitude earthquake in Sumatra caused a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 12 countries.