Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia found six more bodies on Sunday, following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the previous day. This raised the death toll to 53, according to authorities. Thousands of displaced individuals spent the night outdoors, apprehensive about potential aftershocks.
The earthquake affected six regencies on the predominantly Catholic island of Flores, located in the Muslim-majority country. Rescuers concentrated their efforts on three particularly hard-hit areas: Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo, which were challenging to access.
Fathur Rahman, head of the search-and-rescue office in Maumere, reported that most landslides were cleared and roads to previously isolated villages were reopened. Nonetheless, communication disruptions and power outages were hindering search operations. The disaster agency highlighted that over 900 homes were destroyed and an additional 450 were damaged in East Nusa Tenggara province, displacing approximately 5,000 people into temporary shelters.
The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Abdul Muhari from the National Disaster Management Agency stated that at least 241 homes were damaged in the Flores region alone. Authorities issued tsunami warnings, which were later lifted, and reported 995 aftershocks, of which 46 were felt by residents. The quake resulted in 135 injured individuals.
Many locals in Labuan Bajo, a gateway to the famous Komodo National Park, spent the night outside. Anastasia Imad, a farmer residing in a makeshift tent, described the intensity of the shaking, expressing concern about possible aftershocks.
Landslides blocked parts of the Trans-Flores Highway, which stretches over 700 kilometers (435 miles) across the island. Relief workers distributed essentials such as rice, meals, drinking water, blankets, and medicine. Setting up temporary shelters for the displaced was also underway. Priorities for authorities included restoring electricity and communications and delivering aid to remote areas obstructed by landslides.
Indonesia’s location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” makes it vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The region has faced several deadly natural disasters, including a devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed about 2,500 on Flores in 1992, a 2018 tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Sulawesi that claimed over 4,400 lives, and the 2004 tsunami caused by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra, resulting in approximately 230,000 deaths across a dozen countries.
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