Hikers rescued as Indonesian quake death toll rises

At least 16 people have been killed and more than 350 remain seriously injured after Sunday's magnitude 6.4 earthquake near the island of Lombok, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency.

About 543 hikers were rescued from Mount Rinjani volcano after landslides triggered by the deadly earthquake left them stranded.

Among the hikers rescued were 189 foreigners including three Australians.

"As soon as we felt the tremor under our feet, we looked up and saw people falling... and boulders rolling down to the lake," said Suhas Yadav, one of three Indian visitors near the summit when the quake struck.

"The panic was such that we just turned back and started sprinting," he said in a text message to Reuters.

"After that, all that I could think of was run (sic) down the hill as fast as I could."

Around 100 army, police and other rescuers were involved in the rescue effort, with helicopters scouring for others still trapped.

"They were all safe and sound," he added.

Another six climbers and one dead body were found on the mountain early today, with retrieval efforts continuing.

The Lombok quake struck at 6.47am local time (9.47am AEST) on Sunday at a shallow depth of seven kilometres, which would have amplified its effect.

Officials said 280 aftershocks followed the initial quake.

More than 1000 houses and businesses were also destroyed during the quake.

Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which is known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country is home to about 130 active volcanoes.