Official death toll surpasses 300 as 3rd major earthquake hits Indonesia's Lombok island

A Hindu temple collapsed during an aftershock in Lombok island — (Image credit: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images)

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Lombok on Thursday, the third major temblor to rattle the island in just over a week, and security minister Wiranto told reporters the official death toll from the biggest of the three, Sunday's magnitude 7 quake, has reached 319 people. Reporters for The Associated Press witnessed people injured and buildings collapsed from Thursday's aftershock. The Red Cross says it is funneling its resources toward reaching the 20,000 people who haven't yet received any help.

Indonesia says more than 1,400 people were injured in Sunday's earthquake, and more than 156,000 people were left homeless. Lombok is a popular tourist destination near Bali.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.