Quake Hits Indonesia's Lombok Island; Dozens Dead

At least 82 people are dead after a major earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Lombok on Sunday, jolting nearby Bali. The quake comes one week after another deadly quake hit both tourist destinations.

The quake, which originated in northern Lombok, wrecked buildings more than 120 miles away in southern Bali, knocked out electricity in several areas and forced evacuations, according to Indonesia's disaster response agency, Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB). A short-lived tsunami warning has ended.

Hundreds of others were injured and thousands of homes were damaged, BNPB spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement. "Most of the victims died from being hit by collapsed buildings," Nugroho says. Photos from across the island show dozens being wheeled off in stretchers after the quake.

Many wounded victims were treated outside of health clinics and hospitals due to the condition of damaged buildings. Officials expect the death toll to rise.

The earthquake struck at 7:46 p.m. local time on Sunday evening. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at magnitude 7.0.

Freelance reporter Tess Vigeland, speaking to NPR from Bali, describes the moment the tremor hit the island:

Shopkeepers and tourists fled stores and restaurants en masse. A Balinese dance performance at a famous temple in Ubud ended with the audience jumping from their seats and running to the streets.

A magnitude 5.6 aftershock hit less than an hour later.

Famous for their picturesque beaches and mountains, buildings in Lombok and Bali height restrictions keep buildings from exceeding the height of coconut trees, the AP reports.

Just one week ago, a 6.4 magnitude quake rocked the region, leaving at least 16 people dead. Sunday's quake also comes amid an uptick in eruptions at Bali's Mount Agung volcano, Vigeland reports. Mount Agung lies on the Pacific Ocean "Ring of Fire," a string of volcanoes and fault lines.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.