Dutton, Aussies safe after Indon quake: PM

Malcolm Turnbull says Australians, including Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, have escaped a deadly quake in Indonesia.

Parts of a mall building collapsed after an earthquake in Lombok.

No Australians are thought to be have been killed or injured in the deadly Lombok quake. (AAP) Source: AAP

There are no reports of any Australians being killed or injured in a deadly earthquake on Indonesia's tourist Island of Lombok, the prime minister says.

Malcolm Turnbull says many Australians felt the quake, including Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton who has since Tweeted to say he and other members of an Australian delegation visiting Lombok are safe.

Mr Turnbull says he would offer Australian support to Indonesia when he speaks to President Joko Widodo later in the day, with the death toll at 82 and expected to rise.

Mr Dutton, who is on Lombok for a counter-terrorism meeting, was on the 12th floor of a hotel when the quake hit, telling Fairfax Media it was "was powerful enough to put us on the floor".

"We were up on the 12th floor, the lights went out ..." the minister said, praising emergency service who swung into action to get them to safety.

"They were able to evacuate us to safe ground and we are very grateful. There have been no reports of any local injures that we are aware of but we are anxiously awaiting further advice on that."

Mr Turnbull said many Australians had felt the quake.

"At this stage, we have no reports of Australians being injured," he told the Nine network.

"But as we have heard, its effects have been felt around Indonesia, including in Bali, where so many thousands of Australians will be right now."

Australian actress Teresa Palmer, who is holidaying on nearby Bali, said she felt the magnitude-7 quake from her tree house.

"We felt it here in Ubud and it was VIOLENT. We are staying in a tree house and it was swaying like crazy. Very scary. Stay safe everyone," she tweeted.


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Source: AAP


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