At least 39 people have died after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Lombok around 6.40pm Sunday night.
The quake, which hit some 10km below the surface north east of the island, reportedly levelled a number of homes in the region and damaged buildings as far away as Denpasar.
Local disaster official Iwan Asmara said Lombok residents evacuated their homes after the quake to seek higher ground.
A tsunami warning was issued after the quake, but was called off after Indonesian officials recorded waves of just 15cm at several at-risk locations.
The quake affected the regional capital of Mataram, where Australian and Indonesian authorities are conducting a security and counter-terrorism conference.
Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton, who has been present at the conference, was safely evacuated from his hotel along with other members of the Australian delegation.
Australian delegation is safe and is evacuated from hotel. Very grateful to Indonesian police and authorities and the AFP. We are not yet aware of the extent of the damage, but thoughts and prayers are with those impacted.
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) August 5, 2018
A power blackout at Lombok airport forced authorities to temporarily evacuate the site, and minor damage has been reported at the Bali airport, but local authorities state both airports continued their operations overnight.
The quake comes just a week after a magnitude 6.4 quake hit the region, killing 17 people.
