2 strong earthquakes in less than 12 hours jolt Indonesia's Lombok Island
As the Indonesian island of Lombok continues to recover from the devastating earthquake earlier this month, two more powerful tremors jolted the island in a span of less than 12 hours to end the weekend.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake rattled the Indonesian island of Lombok on Sunday, just two weeks after a temblor killed hundreds of people in the region.
Nearly 11 hours later in the early nighttime hours, an even stronger tremor struck northeastern Lombok with a magnitude of 6.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Several strong aftershocks have since followed.
A man inspects destroyed homes following an earthquake on Lombok island, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)
The latest strong earthquake caused panic and power blackouts in the Sembalun subdistrict, located to the northeast of Mount Rinjani, according to the Associated Press (AP).
At least 13 people have died in collapsed buildings or because of heart attacks, Time reported.
The first earthquake on Sunday was felt strongly in East Lombok, with people reportedly running into the streets screaming and crying, according to Aljazeera.
The epicenter of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia during the early hours of Sunday night is shown in this image from the USGS.
The temblor triggered landslides in hilly areas, including the slopes of Mount Rinjani.
Nearly 2,000 homes have sustained damage from the onslaught of shaking.
Officials have advised residents to avoid both the mountain's slopes and weakened buildings, which have become unstable from the frequent earthquakes.
Sunday's strong earthquakes occurred roughly 55-65 km (34-40 miles) to the east-northeast of Mataram, the island's capital.
The island is still reeling from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck on Sunday, Aug. 5, and killed over 400 people, destroyed tens of thousands of buildings and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
The weather will continue to aid in the cleanup from the damage caused by the swarm of earthquakes.
"This is a drier time of year for Indonesia, so most places will be largely dry this week with times of clouds and sunshine," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said. At most, a stray shower or thunderstorm will occur on a few occasions.
Indonesia is located in the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire, an area prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
