61 houses damaged as strong wind hits Lombok

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least 61 houses were destroyed or damaged and around 300 residents evacuated when strong winds engulfed Jagaraga village in Kediri subdistrict on the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday.

The winds, which hit the village at 6:20 a.m., also injured at least one person, 61-year-old Amag Kari. He was receiving medical treatment at the Mataram general hospital, Antara reported.

Head of the West Lombok Social Affairs Office Nurdin Jacoeb was quoted as saying part of the roof struck Amag's head when he tried to flee his house.

Of the 61 houses hit, at least 11 were seriously damaged, all with their roofs carried dozens of meters away, Jacoeb said.

He added that around 300 residents, comprising 11 families, were accommodated at their neighbors' houses in safer areas.

It was not immediately clear whether the devastating winds were part of Claudia, a new tropical cyclone that reportedly was observed in Northern Australia over the last seven days.

Head of Bali Meteorology and Geophysics Agency Putu Pudja said on Thursday that Claudia had caused heavy rain and strong winds in West and East Nusa Tenggara, Bali and East Java.

He said the wind speed had already reached 51 kilometers per hour and the waves had been four meters high.

Local villagers in Jagaraga said the strong winds came suddenly, causing a panic among the victims.

The village is experiencing a power blackout as electricity cables were damaged during the incident.

Jacoeb said his office immediately provided food assistance, including 200 kilograms of rice, to the refugees.

"Soon after we knew that the disaster had affected villagers in Jagaraga, we provide them with rice, while the injured Amag Kari was given medical treatment," he said.

He said the local government was seeking more assistance to rebuild the houses that had been damaged by the devastating winds.