A mother and her baby were found dead in each other’s embrace beneath the rubble of a collapsed building following a powerful earthquake that struck Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, on Saturday.
The bodies were discovered in Manggarai Regency after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake caused buildings to collapse in several areas, leaving a trail of destruction and forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes.
According to an iNews report, rescuers and local residents were overcome with grief during the recovery operation, as the mother was found lying on her back with the infant still on her chest.
One of her arms was reportedly wrapped around the baby, in what authorities and residents believe may have been an instinctive attempt to shield her child as the building came crashing down.
Rescuers, assisted by members of the public, carefully removed the bodies from beneath the debris as search operations continued for other people believed to be trapped in collapsed structures.
The discovery of the mother and baby has emerged as one of the most heartbreaking moments from the disaster, highlighting the human cost of the powerful earthquake that struck the region.
The tremor caused extensive damage to homes and public facilities across several areas of Flores, while repeated aftershocks added to fears among residents and hampered efforts to return to normality.
The death toll later rose to at least 48 people, with more than 100 others reported injured, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).
About 5,000 residents were also forced to evacuate after the main earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks.
Search and rescue teams remained deployed to affected areas as authorities continued assessing the damage and searching for anyone who might still be trapped beneath the rubble.
