New Zealanders in Indonesia describe the violence of Lombok earthquake

A motorist rides past a house in North Lombok heavily damaged by the earthquake. Photo / AP

New Zealanders caught up in the magnitude 7.0 Lombok earthquake have described the horrific moments during and after the powerful quake.

The earthquake struck during Sunday evening at a depth of 15km near Lombok and has killed 131 people.

The shaking caused walls to collapse, roofs to cave in and people literally ran for the hills, fearful a tsunami might follow.

"I haven't seen anything like it before, many roads were blocked from fallen walls, a turret of the mosque [minaret] fell, blocking the street. Window burst, glass everywhere.

"It was incredibly violent and caused a lot of damage", said Aucklander Charlotte Fenwick on Gili Trawangan.

Rescue teams continue to search for victims in the collapsed Jamiul Jamaah Mosque in Bangsal, North Lombok. Photo / AP

Olivia Scott told the Herald she was on Gili Trawangan when the earthquake hit and described the events that followed as "a bloody shambles".

She was in the Christchurch earthquake and said she "can't even begin to explain how much more terrifying it was".

Buildings were collapsing and one man saw a woman and baby squashed by a falling wall in front of him as the chaos ensued Scott said.

"The earthquake hit and all the buildings were falling down, we ran to a hill then spent the night there with no communication on what was going on.

"There was a huge 100-metre tower everyone thought was going to fall on us too with all the aftershocks.

"We were all worried of a tsunami hitting the whole night, people were climbing up trees and locals were screaming and praying," Scott said.

Tourists affected by a strong earthquake line up on a beach as they wait to be evacuated from Gili Trawangan. Photo / AP

Craig Baird was shaken to the ground in the Bali town Ubud during the earthquake and said there was a bit of cosmetic damage to their house.

"It's scary when the ground is buckling under your feet. My partner and I were out of bed and under the table in a flash and we then immediately evacuated the house.

"When I was a child at school we had earthquake drills. Best training ever," Baird said.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said 770 New Zealanders were registered on SafeTravel as being in Indonesia, 25 of them in Lombok. NZHerald Graphic

Fenwick works on Gili Trawangan as a dive instructor and spent the hours after the earthquake looking for survivors in the rubble.

Along with friends and co-workers, Fenwick collected supplies and helped others on the island tend to the injured by working in a triage centre.

"We had a 1:2 ratio of those with medical training vs those without, we tried to keep the group small enough to cater to those we had, and not be crowded.

A resident inspects a mosque damaged by an earthquake in North Lombok.. Photo / AP

"I remained as a non-medically trained support in the triage centre all night treating people by torch lights due to the power cuts," she said.

Tourist boats started to arrive in the morning to transport the injured and others trapped on the Gili Islands to Lombok.

Scott said there was no evacuation plan in place and there weren't police officers on the small island to help.

She spent close to a day on a beach waiting to be picked up and said some boats were charging people to get on them.

"Rescue boats started running and only Balinese were getting on them, any tourists were being thrown off or punched, stomped on.

"Some local boats started running and charging people $200 per person when it is usually $2," Scott said.

Rescuers carry the body of an earthquake victim recovered from the collapsed Jabal Nur Mosque in North Lombok. Photo / AP

Fenwick and her dive instructor co-workers have travelled to Bali while power and water get restored on Gili Trawangan.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said 770 New Zealanders were registered on SafeTravel as being in Indonesia, 25 of them in Lombok.

"We have no information to suggest New Zealanders have been injured in the earthquake at this stage.

"We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in contact with New Zealanders on the ground," the spokesperson said.

MFAT say if family members have concerns about a New Zealand-citizen family member, they should try to contact them directly first, including by social media.

MFAT also advises all New Zealanders in Indonesia to register their details on SafeTravel and to follow any instructions issued by local authorities.

What to do:

• New Zealanders requiring consular assistance can call the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta on (+ 62 21) 2995 5800 or via email on nzembjak@cbn.net.id.

• If you have concerns about a New Zealand-citizen family member in Indonesia, please try to make direct contact in the first instance, including by social media. If you have ongoing concerns, please contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on +64 4 439 8000 and ask to speak to the Consular Division.

• All New Zealanders in Indonesia are advised to register their details on www.safetravel.govt.nz, to follow any instructions issued by the local authorities and let their family in New Zealand know they are okay.