Earthquake of Magnitude 4.8 Strikes Bali, Kills Three

A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters
A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters
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Earthquake of Magnitude 4.8 Strikes Bali, Kills Three

A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters
A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters

An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 struck Indonesia's Bali island on Saturday morning, killing at least three people, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said.

The quake affected the Karangasem and Bangli districts on the eastern side of the tourist island and a search has been concluded, the agency said in a statement, but authorities were continuing to monitor situation.

A landslide triggered by the quake killed two of the victims, the agency said. A third, a three-year old girl, was killed by falling debris.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the 4.8 magnitude quake struck off Banjar Wangsian, and put its depth at 10 km (6.21 miles).

"All affected by the quake have been evacuated while data on damage is still being collected by Bali's disaster mitigation agency," search and rescue official Gede Darmada said in the statement.

Rescue services evacuated people across a lake as the road to the stricken community had been cut off by a landslide, he added.

There was no significant damage in other parts of Bali, while the quake was felt also in the neighboring island of Lombok, local media reported.

Bali reopened for international tourists on Thursday after 18 months of pandemic restrictions, but they are only expected to start arriving later this month.



Norway and France to Boost Defense Cooperation

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu attends a joint press statement after talks about strengthening security and defense in Europe, at Ministry of Defense in Berlin, Germany November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu attends a joint press statement after talks about strengthening security and defense in Europe, at Ministry of Defense in Berlin, Germany November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
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Norway and France to Boost Defense Cooperation

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu attends a joint press statement after talks about strengthening security and defense in Europe, at Ministry of Defense in Berlin, Germany November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu attends a joint press statement after talks about strengthening security and defense in Europe, at Ministry of Defense in Berlin, Germany November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

Norway and France have signed a letter of intent to expand and strengthen their defense and security policy cooperation, the Norwegian defense ministry said on Thursday.

Norway's Defense Minister Bjoern Arild Gram and French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu met in Oslo to sign the agreement, Reuters reported.

The two countries plan enhanced cooperation on exercises and training in Norway and will work together to counter hybrid threats to critical infrastructure such as undersea cables and energy supply lines, the Norwegian ministry said in a statement.

The two ministers also discussed enhanced defense materiel cooperation, Norway said.