President Jokowi to Visit Quake-hit Lombok

President Jokowi talks to the press (Photo by: Jay/Public Relations Division)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Friday (10/8) is scheduled to meet with residents affected by the quake that hit Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province.

The President is also scheduled to spend the night in the province as well.

The visit to Lombok, the President said, will be done after he registers his candidacy as a Presidential Candidate for the period of 2019-2024 at the office of the General Election Commission (KPU) on Friday (10/8) morning.

“Maybe tomorrow after the registration I will also fly to West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province and stay overnight there,” the President said to reporters on Thursday (9/8).

As previously reported, an earthquake measuring 7.0 in Richter scale rocked the resort island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province on Sunday (5/8) evening.

Shortly after the quake hit the province, President Jokowi instructed Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto – who happened to be provincial Mataram –  to coordinate relief efforts in the wake of the quake.

Death toll in the quake is reported to have reached 258 with hundreds of people injured and hundreds of houses damaged. North Lombok regency is the hardest-hit area. (FID/ES) (/EP/Naster)