At least 51 people have died after a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia, triggering landslides, blocking roads and forcing about 5,000 people to evacuate, authorities said on Sunday.
The earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara province on Saturday morning, leaving 36 people seriously injured and another 77 with minor injuries, according to Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus during a televised meeting.
The quake was followed by around 341 aftershocks and has been described as Indonesia’s worst earthquake in several years. The country previously suffered hundreds of deaths in a magnitude-5.6 earthquake that struck West Java in 2022.
More than 3,300 people in the Sikka region either evacuated voluntarily or sought shelter at a sports arena after the disaster. Residents were also seen sleeping outside homes and in makeshift tents after buildings were damaged or collapsed.
Sikka deputy regent Simon Subandi said many residents were afraid to return indoors because of the continuing aftershocks. Some affected residents were forced to remain outside their damaged homes under temporary shelters made from tarpaulin.
The situation also placed pressure on local medical facilities, with some patients receiving treatment in tents outside a hospital in the port town of Maumere.
More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed to assist with rescue and relief efforts, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said in a statement.
Rescue teams have since managed to reach parts of Maumere that were initially cut off by landslides. Authorities said many of those still missing were believed to be trapped beneath rubble, while more than 1,300 houses have been reported damaged.
The earthquake also disrupted essential services, with 20 petrol stations temporarily unable to operate because of power outages, according to state energy company Pertamina.
The East Nusa Tenggara government is considering declaring an emergency across the province, a move that would allow authorities to mobilise additional resources and funding for relief operations.
The affected area had previously experienced a magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, which caused widespread destruction.
Indonesia remains highly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity because the archipelago lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active region where several tectonic plates meet. Rescue and assessment operations are expected to continue as authorities work to reach affected communities and determine the full scale of the damage.
