Lombok earthquake: Rescuers dig by hand as lack of equipment hampers search effort after deadly quake kills 98

Rescuers searching for survivors of a devastating earthquake in Indonesia have been forced to dig by hand as a lack of equipment is hampering their efforts.

Officials said some rescue staff were struggling to reach possible survivors under the rubble of a mosque that collapsed on the island of Lombok.

About 40 people were believed to have been inside the mosque when the 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit, according to reports.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said efforts were being hampered by a lack of heavy equipment available.

Pictures showed tourists packed on a beach waiting to evacuate the Gili Islands, just off Lombok, as it emerged 200 people were seriously injured and thousands of homes were damaged.

Search and rescue members look for victims at a mosque that collapsed following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Tanjong, North Lombok
AFP/Getty Images

Most of the casualties were in Lombok, which had suffered an earlier deadly earthquake just days ago on July 29, while two people died in Bali.

The British Government is sending consular staff to the earthquake-shattered island after hundreds of tourists were left stranded.

7.0 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia

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A visitor from London, 28-year-old James Kelsall of Woodford Green, described scenes of terror and chaos after he was caught up in the disaster.

He and his partner Helen became stranded on the tiny island of Gili Trawangan when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck.

Speaking from a beach as he awaited evacuation, the teacher told reporters: "There were lots of injuries and pain on the island from buildings that had collapsed onto people.

"The most terrifying part was the tsunami warning that followed. All the locals were frantically running and screaming, putting on life jackets.

"We followed them up to higher ground, which was a steep, uneven climb to the top of a hill in darkness."

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference that damage was "massive" in the north of Lombok.

Some areas still hadn't been reached, while rescuers were hampered by collapsed bridges, electricity blackouts and damaged roads blocked with debris.

The quake, measured at a magnitude of 7.0 by Indonesian authorities and 6.9 by the US Geological Survey, struck early Sunday evening at a depth of 10.5 kilometres (6 miles) in the northern part of Lombok.

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