A Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Struck Lombok Island, Indonesia

Indonesia's disaster Relief Agency said Thursday that the death toll from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara province rose to 259. 

In a statement issued on the same day, Indonesian Anti-disaster Administration spokesman Suto Bo said that as of 17:00 Jakarta time (18:00 Beijing time), nearly 80,000 houses and public buildings had been damaged by the earthquake, and more than 270000 local residents had been forced to evacuate. 

Another 1033 seriously injured people are being treated at local medical facilities. Sutopo said it is estimated that a large number of people are still buried under the rubble and that the number of casualties is expected to increase as search and rescue work continues. Sutopo said that 21 large machines have entered the disaster area to participate in the rescue, and rescue teams comprising the Indonesian disaster Relief Agency, military and police, the National search and Rescue Center, rescue medical institutions and volunteers inside and outside Indonesia are working hard to search for survivors. 

Indonesia's earthquake monitoring authorities recorded 362 aftershocks near the epicenter, he said. Indonesia's disaster Relief Agency said two people were killed and 24 injured and several buildings damaged after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit northern Lombok on the afternoon of September 9. China's consulate general in the Bali capital of Denpasar said in a statement on the afternoon of the 9th that after the magnitude 6.2 earthquake, the consulate general has sought information from all parties, and there have been no reports of casualties among Chinese citizens. The Consulate General reminds Chinese citizens to pay close attention to earthquake and other natural disasters to ensure their safety.