CYPRUS: Foreign Ministry travel warning for quake-hit Indonesia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Cypriot nationals who intend travelling to Indonesia, to avoid non-essential travel to the Gili Islands due to aftershocks from Sunday’s magnitude-6.9 earthquake.

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The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit Indonesia’s tourist island of Lombok topped 100 on Tuesday as rescuers found victims under wrecked buildings, while thousands left homeless in the worst-affected areas waited for aid to arrive.

 Tuesday’s travel warning comes after Monday’s advice urging Cypriot nationals who are already there or will travel for any reason to Indonesia, to follow the instructions of the authorities, including those for compulsory evacuations and to stay informed about the situation through the media.

Apart from advising Cypriots to avoid non-essential travel to Gili islands, the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday urged those travelling to Bali and Lombok islands to be ready to review their travel plans and seek advice from their travel agents before departing.

Cypriots are also advised to monitor the news for any developments.

In case of an emergency Cypriot nationals can call the following numbers of the Ministry:

+357 99660129, +357 22801000, +357 22651113 and 357 22651295.

Lombok had already been hit by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on July 29 that killed 17 people and briefly stranded several hundred trekkers on the slopes of a volcano.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.