The death toll from the powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Lombok has surpassed 100 with authorities expecting it to rise further.
More than 200 were seriously injured, disaster management spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, while more than 20,000 people have been displaced due to damaged or completely destroyed homes.
North Lombok took the brunt of the quake’s force with entire villages virtually flattened, however nearly three days after the quake people are still being brought out from under rubble alive.
Meanwhile thousands of foreign and domestic tourists on Lombok’s three offshore Gili Islands have been transported on a flotilla of boats to mainland Lombok and Bali.
Many of those spent the night huddled around their belongings on the floor at Lombok’s Praya Airport.
The airport was laying on extra services Tuesday to clear the backlog.
"We have been doing our best to manage the tourists flocking the airport. We are doing our best so we can fly out as many as possible," airport management said.
Khiri Travel Indonesia reported no casualties from clients or staff in Lombok and is offering options to change travel plans for customers scheduled to travel to the Gili Island in the coming weeks.
It expects it resume normal travel to Lombok ‘in a few weeks time.’
"To support local people employed in the tourism industry in Lombok we recommend that clients do not make unnecessary changes to travel programmess, but contact Khiri Travel if they have any concerns."
Khiri staff had been in North Lombok handing out food, blankets and water tanks to villagers in rural areas impacted by the earthquake which struck the same area a week earlier.
