REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NORTH LOMBOK -- Seven thousand foreign tourists were evacuated from the tourist areas of Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno after a magnitude-7 earthquake hit Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, on Sunday. Most evacuees would have transited in the Indonesian resort island of Bali, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto informed journalists while observing the evacuation process at Bangsal Seaport here on Tuesday.

Wiranto confirmed that no foreign tourists were killed in the tourism areas of Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno. The government has provided vessels, passenger buses, and additional flights to enable them to depart from the quake-hit island, he noted. Equal and fair treatment was given to both domestic and foreign tourists.

Tourists evacuated from the Bangsal Seaport will be transported to Bali Island while those looking to catch flights were taken to the Lombok Praya International Airport. Tens of Damri buses were seen serving the evacuees keen on travelling to the airport and Mataram free of charge.

Tourists were evacuated from Gili Trawangan Island to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Monday (Aug 6).

The Indonesian Tourism Ministry had earlier provided different modes of transport to help evacuate some one thousand tourists and local residents out of Gili Isles after the strong quake. The Tourism Ministry had also coordinated with related authorities and those from the disaster mitigation agency to give valid information to tourists, as the spread of fake news on tsunami on the internet had triggered panic among those in Gili Isles.

"In fact, the early tsunami warning had officially been revoked on Sunday evening," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya stated.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika