At least 53 people have died and more than 130 others were injured after a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia, triggering landslides, damaging buildings and cutting off roads, authorities said.
The earthquake struck on Saturday and forced around 5,000 people to evacuate as rescue teams worked to reach badly affected areas. Many of those injured suffered broken bones and other trauma following the powerful tremor.
Sikka was among the hardest-hit areas, with more than 3,300 residents either fleeing their homes or gathering at a sports arena designated as an evacuation centre. Some people whose homes were damaged or destroyed were forced to sleep under makeshift tarpaulin shelters, while patients were treated in tents outside a local hospital.
The disaster has also left residents deeply concerned about further tremors. Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said nearly 1,000 aftershocks had been recorded since the main earthquake, prompting many people to avoid returning home.
At a port in Maumere, residents were confronted with debris from collapsed walls and a roof. Hundreds later gathered at a nearby stadium, where emergency shelters had been set up. As evening fell, people queued for warm drinks while families tried to make the temporary surroundings more comfortable for children.
One resident, 22-year-old Lisda, chose to remain in a tent with her twin babies because she was afraid to sleep inside her home. Another survivor, 67-year-old Yuvienta Saen, said she was praying when the earthquake struck and had to make the difficult decision to flee while leaving her paralysed husband behind.
The disaster has also revived painful memories of the region’s history. The same area was struck by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, which caused widespread destruction. Local disaster officials said the latest quake had brought back trauma from that earlier catastrophe.
Rescue teams are concentrating their efforts on Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo, where rubble and landslides could have trapped victims. Officials said no missing-person reports had been received so far, although difficult terrain, continuing aftershocks and blocked roads have complicated search operations.
More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed to assist with rescue and relief operations, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said.
Meanwhile, electricity supplies have been almost completely restored, although repair crews are continuing to work on damaged distribution networks.
The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government has declared an emergency status, allowing authorities to mobilise additional resources and funding as rescue, recovery and relief efforts continue.
Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity because the archipelago sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet.
