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Flights to Bali and Lombok were running to schedule last night as the travel industry checked on clients following the strong earthquake that struck the holiday destinations on Sunday, killing at least 140 people.

No Australians have yet been reported to be among those killed or the over 200 people injured after the quake slammed into Lombok. About 100 people have been confirmed dead and many more are missing.

The industry’s readiness may be tested again later this week, with a powerful hurricane reported in the vicinity of Hawaii.

Regarding Bali and Lombok, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism issued a statement:

“In regard with the 6.4 magnitude earthquake which struck East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, today 29th of July 2018. Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia would like to extend our deepest condolences for the victims. Our crisis management keeps monitoring the update on the situation and coordinating with the local government and ground handler to make sure that all tourists impacted by the quake are well taken care of.

“The earthquake did not trigger tsunami, but we encourage tourists to stay alert, follow government instruction, and always update themselves with information only from official social media or website of Indonesian government.

“Mount Rinjani is temporarily closed for hiking, yet other tourist destinations are ready to welcome visitors and Lombok International Airport in Central Lombok operates normally. Please refer to our website indonesia.travel to check the current events on the island.”

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advised: “On 5 August 2018, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake and several strong aftershocks hit Lombok. This follows an earlier earthquake that struck Lombok on 29 July. Check with your airline and accommodation provider before travelling there. Monitor media and follow the instructions of local authorities.”

Lombok was hit by another 5.2 magnitude quake last night and numerous aftershocks.  Thousands have fled their homes, while rescuers carried injured people to evacuation centres. About 2000 people, including hundreds of tourists have been evacuated from the three Gili resort islands off Lombok and other local resorts. Some are still stuck there and Indonesian authorities are working to evacuated them all.

Canadian singer and actor Justin Bieber was in the vicinity:

More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from Lombok. In Bali, tourists and locals ran from hotels and restaurants. Panels fell from the ceiling of Denpasar Airport. It was the second earthquake to hit Lombok in a week.

MEANWHILE in the mid-Pacific, Hurricane Hector, packing wind speeds of up to 140kph, is moving steadily into the vicinity of another of the world’s volcanically active zones, the Hawaiian Islands.

Hector’s projected path lies close to the Big Island of Hawaii, where the Kilauea lava flow has continued for over three months (95 consecutive days) making it the longest nonstop eruption ever recorded from Kilauea’s lower East Rift zone.

Two potentially devastating forces – a major hurricane and an erupting volcano – could coincide. Scientists ponder how the two might interact, given the low atmospheric pressure generated by a major cyclone.

Then again, Hurricane Hector may dissipate in coming days. Latest information this morning is that Hector is about to cross into the Central Pacific Basin as a Category 4 storm. It is on track to pass south of the Hawaiian Islands but any deviation could present a problem. Surf is up in Hawaii and it’s bigger than usual.

“Very rough surf is expected to impact mostly south- and east-facing coastal areas of the Big Island,” AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said.

Written by Peter Needham