Lest you’re not aware, Singapore is safe: not just from crimes, but from natural disasters. While we can complain about everything else, we certainly can’t deny the fact that we live in a rather good location.

But not so for one of our neighbours, Indonesia.

Yesterday, something tragic happened and if you’re still not in the loop, here are ten facts about the earthquake that you probably need to know.

1. Where and when

The deadly disaster took place off Indonesia’s Lombok Island (next to Bali) on 5 August 2018, at around 6:46 p.m.

And according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake ran around 19 miles deep and had an epicentre roughly a mile east-southwest of Loloan.

2. Lives lost

As mentioned above, at least 91 people have been pronounced dead so far, with hundreds more wounded. Buildings also felt the brunt of the force as people were spotted rushing into the streets with this face going on.

It’s unknown whether that is the final number yet.

3. Magnitude

The USGS has listed the quake as a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, though it was later downgraded to 6.9. In comparison, the Osaka earthquake in June that claimed multiple lives and injured hundreds was recorded at 5.9 (before being upgraded to 6.1).

It was first reported at around 7:46 a.m. ET.

4. Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place

But it seems that earthquakes do.

Just a week before, another quake in the same region transpired, triggering a landslide and claiming the lives of more than a dozen people, as well as ruining more than 1,400 houses.

5. And there’s more

The earthquake might have gone, but it’s not the end. According to Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, the tsunami warning has ended, and the warning was for the lowest level of tsunami, with six waves, going up to 6 inches high, discovered in three villages.

Right after that, Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency was forced to take action, issuing an alert that a tsunami might take place.

6. Tourists

While the villagers were obviously dealt the burnt side of the toast, tourists also saw their fair share of horror.

And I’m not even talking about Lombok Island.

Indeed, it seems that the earthquake was so strong that Bali felt it, and suffice it to say that the results weren’t particularly… aesthetic.

And here’s a link to a tourist running through the hallway of a hotel as the building rumbles.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho has also told KompasTV that the quake strongly shook Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, and might have created damage there.

Additionally, the quake could also be felt in parts of neighbouring Bali island, where a video aired by Kompas TV displayed patients being evacuated from a hospital in Bali’s Tabanan district.

And we all know that Bali’s a tourists’ spot.

7. Celebrities

And it seems that amongst the tourists, some possess the legendary blue tick.

Like model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen, who also happens to be the wife of musician John Legend.

Yeah, all of me. You got that right.

Incidentally, Teresa Palmer, star of big-screen hits like ‘Warm Bodies’ and ‘Lights Out’, was there too.

That’s right, Teresa. Fingers crossed for all the people there 🙁

8. The accursed Ring of Fire

Like Japan, Indonesia is located on the outskirts of the dastardly “Ring of Fire”, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean. This could explain its proneness to earthquakes in general, with a previous magnitude 9.1 earthquake in 2004 triggering a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

9. Airport authorities request more flights so that tourists can leave the country

There’s no doubt that a earthquake of this size would have struck fear in many, including tourists. According to The Guardian, the airport authorities have requested for more flights as worried tourists crowded the airport, trying to leave the country. While the airport is affected with minor damages, it does not interfere with flights.

10. No Singaporeans injured so far

You might have received “Crisis Responses” from friends who have marked themselves as safe in Facebook; officially, as of time of writing, there has been no reports of injured Singaporeans, and the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta have reached out to e-registered Singaporeans in both Lombok and Bali.

And with that said, I end this article off here, in the hopes that there would be no further casualities, and that the aforementioned “tsunami” would not happen.

On a side note…

We might keep complaining about how hot Singapore is, how expensive Singapore is, and how boring Singapore is. But when it comes to the grind, you can’t help but marvel at how safe Singapore really is.

And isn’t that the core aspect of living, really? To have a safe, comfortable environment to grow up in? Indeed, after reading and writing about these natural disasters…

I can’t help but wonder whether WE are the spoilt ones.

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