Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 51 as Thousands Flee Homes
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia has killed at least 51 people and displaced about 5,000 others, as rescue teams continue searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
The earthquake struck at about 5:58am local time on Saturday, with its epicentre located approximately 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The shallow quake was followed by about 341 aftershocks, causing widespread destruction and making rescue operations difficult.
Indonesia’s Deputy Health Minister, Benjamin Paulus Octavianus, said 36 people sustained serious injuries, while another 77 suffered minor injuries.
More than 3,300 residents in Sikka regency, one of the worst-hit areas, were forced to leave their homes or became stranded. Many sought shelter in a sports arena and other temporary locations.
In Maumere, residents were seen camping outside damaged homes under tarpaulin shelters, while injured victims were treated at makeshift medical facilities outside a local hospital.
Authorities said at least 157 homes were destroyed and nearly 200 others damaged in Nagekeo regency, the area closest to the earthquake’s epicentre. Around 2,000 residents were moved to temporary shelters.
More than 1,300 homes have been damaged across the affected region, while 20 petrol stations remain closed because of power outages, according to state energy company Pertamina.
Rescue operations have been hampered by landslides that blocked roads and disrupted communications in several areas. Authorities have deployed more than 3,500 military and police personnel, along with three helicopters and a rescue vessel, to support relief efforts.
Officials are also considering declaring a state of emergency in East Nusa Tenggara to allow additional resources and funding to be deployed.
A tsunami warning issued shortly after the earthquake has since been lifted. However, authorities have urged residents to stay away from shorelines and damaged buildings as aftershocks could continue for several days.
The full extent of the destruction remains unclear because some affected communities are still difficult for emergency teams to reach.
Indonesia is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area known for frequent seismic activity.
The same region was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in December 1992, when more than 2,500 people were killed on Flores Island.
