Around 5,000 individuals have been relocated following a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, leading to a death toll of at least 53, obstructing roads, and triggering landslides, as per authorities’ reports on Sunday. The incident also left over 130 individuals wounded, many of whom sustained broken bones.
This earthquake, which occurred on Saturday, marks the deadliest in the country since a devastating quake in 2022 claimed hundreds of lives in West Java. The Sikka region saw more than 3,300 people either self-evacuating or seeking refuge in a sports arena, according to the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
In Sikka, some residents found themselves stranded outside collapsed homes, seeking shelter under makeshift tarp structures. Others received medical attention in tents set up outside a hospital in the port town of Maumere. Abdul Mutas, a 63-year-old resident, recounted fleeing with his family as the earthquake struck, leaving them with no belongings but their bodies.
Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, mentioned that almost all residents opted to sleep outside on porches or in tents due to fears of aftershocks. Additionally, more than 3,500 military and police personnel have been dispatched to the affected region, as stated by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
The fear of aftershocks looms large among residents, with over 1,000 aftershocks recorded since the initial quake. In Maumere, a closed port bore the remnants of destruction from the disaster, prompting residents to seek refuge elsewhere. Nearby, a sports stadium was transformed into an evacuation center, where residents formed makeshift cradles for infants and engaged in various activities.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, head of the region’s disaster mitigation agency, expressed how the recent earthquake stirred memories of the 1992 quake among residents, evoking a sense of trauma. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with focus 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 are still ongoing. The East Nusa Tenggara government has declared a state of emergency for the province, facilitating the mobilization of resources and funding. Geology expert Dwikorita Karnawati highlighted the seismic risks posed by the Flores back-arc thrust fault system in the region.
Indonesia, a nation spanning a vast archipelago with a population of 290 million, lies in the seismically active “Pacific Ring of Fire,” characterized by frequent earthquakes and volcanic activities due to tectonic plate movements.
