Two killed as quake rattles Bima

At least two people were killed as a strong earthquake shook the West Nusa Tenggara town of Bima at about 3:41 a.m. local time Monday.

A resident of Raba Ngodu village, Masita, told Antara state news agency two people from neighboring Kolo village had died after their house collapsed. “We heard the report from our relatives who live in the village. The quake struck during a blackout,” Masita said.

Another Bima resident, Herdin, said local radio station Bima FM had reported that the quake had claimed two lives and caused damage to a number of houses in Kolo village.
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The quake was of magnitude 6.7, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said. It struck at a depth of 25 kilometers beneath the sea bed and had its epicenter about 28 kilometers southwest of Bima.

Herdin said many people living in the coastal area had fled to higher ground for fear of a tsunami. The meteorology agency, however, did not issue a tsunami warning.