Around 5,000 individuals have been relocated following a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, resulting in a minimum of 53 fatalities, road closures, and landslides, as confirmed by authorities on Sunday. More than 130 individuals sustained injuries, many of whom suffered broken bones.
The earthquake on Saturday marked the deadliest in Indonesia since a previous incident in 2022 that claimed the lives of hundreds in West Java. The Sikka region saw over 3,300 individuals either self-evacuating or seeking shelter in a sports arena, as reported by the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
In Sikka, some residents found themselves stranded outdoors near collapsed residences, seeking refuge under makeshift tarps. Others received medical attention in a tent outside a hospital in the town of Maumere.
Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, stated that nearly all of Sikka’s residents opted to stay outdoors, either on porches or makeshift tents, due to safety concerns following the earthquake. The region has seen the deployment of over 3,500 military and police personnel to provide assistance.
Concerns over aftershocks persist, with residents in Maumere expressing fear while residing in a port littered with debris from the quake. The disaster agency reported nearly 1,000 aftershocks occurring since the initial earthquake, prompting hundreds of residents to seek refuge at a designated sports stadium.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, focusing on clearing rubble in heavily impacted areas to locate any potential survivors. The restoration of power supply is nearing completion, although efforts to repair distribution lines continue. The provincial government of East Nusa Tenggara declared an emergency for the province, allowing for the mobilization of resources and funding.
Geological expert Dwikorita Karnawati highlighted the earthquake-prone nature of the region due to the presence of the “Flores back-arc thrust fault,” a significant system of thrust faults. The area affected by the recent earthquake experienced a similar event in 1992, indicating a history of seismic activity. Indonesia, home to a large population spread across numerous islands, lies within the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a volatile zone characterized by frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.