Indonesia earthquake: Chaos as tens of thousands flee, with almost 100 dead

Thousands of terrified tourists are being taken off the island of Lombok by boat. The earthquake has caused much more damage than the one a few days ago – destroying roads, bridges, disrupting electricity and communications and damaging huge numbers of buildings.

At least 98 people were killed and over 200 injured with thousands now homeless. Collapsed buildings and bridges, impassable roads littered with debris – it’s been an impossible task for rescuers in the Indonesian earthquake.

The powerful magnitude 7 tremors hit near the north coast of the island of Lombok yesterday evening just 50 kilometres east of the popular holiday island of Bali. Around 10,000 people have been evacuated from the area as it continues to be rocked by dozens of aftershocks. Boats have also been sent to the nearby Gili islands to collect more than a thousand tourists stranded there.