'Everyone was so panicked': Irish woman caught up in Indonesian earthquake reveals local devastation

A WOMAN CAUGHT up in a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia says it will be months before devastated locals will be able to return to their homes.

More than 400 people were killed and thousands injured after two earthquakes struck Lombok and the Gili Islands on 7 August and 9 August.

Irish woman Orlagh, who spent a week on the Gili Islands after travelling to Bali as a tourist, described how the area has been left reeling following the earthquakes.

She told TheJournal.ie: “The Gili Islands are abandoned. It was quite eerie, a lot of stuff was left as it was when the earthquake hit. Food and drinks were still on tables at restaurants afterwards.

“There’s quite a bit of structural damage on the islands, but Lombok is far worse.”

Tsunami warning

Orlagh said she and her friends were outside a villa on the second-largest island, Gili Air, when the ground began to shake on August 7.

“It sounded like a very deep, loud rumble,” she said. “Almost immediately the electricity on the entire island went and we could hear smashing and banging.”

The group took shelter on a beach to escape falling objects, but was unable to find out what was happening because there was no internet coverage on the island.

Orlagh said: “[We didn't know] if a tsunami was expected or if there would be more. As we made our way to the middle of the island, we got a tsunami warning.”

Eventually the group found a group of locals and other tourists at a makeshift camp at a football pitch, where they slept as aftershocks continued throughout the night.

During their stay at the camp, they met two other Irish people, Rachel and Tim from Cork, who Orlagh praised for their efforts when a call for volunteers was made.

She said: “Naturally, upon hearing the Irish accents we banded together. Rachel, a nurse, was the first to volunteer to help injured people when the call for aid came.

“She deserves recognition for the good work she did.

“Herself and Tim had planned to travel to Vietnam the next day, but missed their connecting flight and traveled home to Ireland instead, but not before spending two nights in the airport in Lombok.”

Tim and Rachel from Cork prepare medical supplies in the aftermath of the earthquake in Indonesia

Orlagh says that other tourists – including an anaesthetist nurse, a dentist and a vet – also volunteered.

“Some were Australian and some were English,” she said.

“A South African man took charge, getting information from the embassy and arranging for people to go around the island collecting water, food, medication and blankets.”

More damage

The following day, Orlagh’s group went to gather their belongings from the villa they had been staying in before making their way to a harbour to leave the island.

But when they arrived, they saw thousands trying to evacuate the island on just a handful of boats.

“People were climbing onto already full boats and the passengers were trying to stop them,” Orlagh recalled.

“Locals were worried about a tsunami if another earthquake was to hit. The islands are completely flat and only 2km wide so there’d be no escaping the water if it did.

“Everyone was so panicked.”

The group decided it was too dangerous to travel, and also worried about what to do once they arrived at Lombok with thousands of others who had nowhere to stay.

Instead, they decided to spend a second night on Gili Air, sleeping on a beach using sun loungers and beanbags.

Men stand next to rubble on Lombok, days after an earthquake that killed hundreds of people in Indonesia. Donal Husni Donal Husni

That night, a second string of earthquakes and numerous aftershocks struck, causing more damage to the already-fragile buildings on the island.

“It was too dangerous to sleep inside,” Orlagh said. “We felt safe on the beach because there was light and a couple of dozen other people sleeping there.”

The following day, the group finally returned to Lombok after a local brought them by boat.

From there, the Indonesian army provided a bus to another harbour, where the group was able to get a seven-hour ferry to Bali before returning home.

Kind and selfless

Despite the experience, Orlagh praised locals for how they helped tourists caught up in the devastation.

“They were very kind and selfless,” she said. “One hotel provided free water, food and toilets to the tourists left on the island.

“They also had a generator, and since there was no electricity on the island, they provided light at night. Other locals would stop by and give us updates on what was happening.

“When we were finally evacuated to Lombok, the army provided transport, food and all the water we could ask for.”

However, Orlagh felt that many of those who were so quick to help tourists were not as fortunate.

“I don’t think the locals got the same treatment,” she said.

“I heard stories of entire families being given three packets of noodles and one bottle of water to share between them.

“I suspect we were looked after so well to ensure the tourism industry doesn’t suffer.”

Since Orlagh’s return home, Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency and the country’s military and police have reportedly provided aid to 350,000 people who have been displaced.

But she believes it could be a long time before locals are able to return home to start rebuilding their lives.

“The locals left and took everything, and I think it will be a few months before they return,” she said.

“It was very upsetting to see the damage and destruction that they had to endure.”