Around 5,000 individuals have been relocated following a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 that struck eastern Indonesia, resulting in a death toll of at least 53 people, obstructing roadways, and triggering landslides, as per authorities’ reports on Sunday. Over 130 individuals sustained injuries, many of them with fractures.
The earthquake that occurred on Saturday marked the most fatal seismic event in the Southeast Asian country since a quake in 2022 claimed hundreds of lives in West Java. The Sikka region saw over 3,300 people self-evacuating or seeking refuge in a sports arena, as reported by the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
In Sikka, some residents found themselves stranded outside collapsed residences, seeking shelter under makeshift tarps. Meanwhile, others received medical attention in tents set up outside a hospital in Maumere, a port town.
Abdul Mutas, a 63-year-old resident, recounted their flight to safety, stating, “I only brought my body. The tides were rising, so we ran.” Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, mentioned that nearly all residents chose to sleep outdoors, either on porches or in temporary shelters.
The response to the disaster involved the deployment of more than 3,500 military and police personnel to the affected region, according to a statement by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Concerns about aftershocks loomed large, with residents in Maumere expressing fear of further seismic activity. The disaster agency reported nearly 1,000 aftershocks since the initial quake. In a nearby sports stadium designated as an evacuation center, hundreds of residents sought refuge. The scene at dusk featured residents lining up for hot beverages, mothers creating makeshift cradles from clothing, and children engaging in soccer games.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, head of the local disaster mitigation agency, mentioned that the recent quake evoked memories of the 1992 earthquake, with aid such as food and tents arriving in trucks.
Search and rescue operations continued, focusing on clearing debris in severely impacted areas to locate any individuals potentially trapped. While power supply was mostly restored, efforts were ongoing to repair distribution lines, as confirmed by state utility firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara.
The government of East Nusa Tenggara declared a state of emergency for the province, permitting the mobilization of resources and funding, according to BNPB. Geology expert Dwikorita Karnawati highlighted the earthquake risk in the region attributed to the “Flores back-arc thrust fault,” a significant system of thrust faults. The area had previously experienced a destructive magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, as reported by Indonesia’s geophysics agency.
Indonesia, a nation spread across an archipelago with a population of 290 million, sits within the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” known for frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to tectonic plate interactions.
