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 blockages, and landslides, as confirmed by authorities on Sunday. Over 130 individuals sustained injuries, many suffering from fractures.
The earthquake on Saturday marked the nation’s deadliest event since a devastating quake in 2022 claimed the lives of hundreds in West Java. In the Sikka region, more than 3,300 people either self-evacuated or sought refuge in a sports complex, as reported by the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
In the aftermath, some residents of Sikka found themselves stranded amidst collapsed homes, seeking shelter under makeshift tarps. In Maumere, a port town, individuals received medical care in tent facilities outside a hospital.
Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, revealed that the majority of residents in the area opted to stay outdoors, sleeping on porches or under tents. To aid in the response efforts, over 3,500 military and police personnel were dispatched to the region, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Residents of Maumere expressed concerns about aftershocks, with nearly 1,000 recorded since the initial quake. The community gathered at a sports stadium designated as an evacuation center, where they queued for warm beverages as the sun set. Mothers ingeniously fashioned makeshift cradles from clothing pieces attached to tent frames for their infants, while children engaged in soccer matches outside.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, the head of the regional disaster mitigation agency, acknowledged the haunting memories stirred by the quake, reminiscent of the 1992 seismic event experienced by residents.
Search operations persisted, with a focus on clearing debris in the hardest-hit areas to locate any individuals potentially trapped. While power supply was largely restored, efforts were ongoing to repair distribution lines. An emergency was declared for the province by the East Nusa Tenggara government, enabling the mobilization of resources and funding, according to BNPB.
Geology expert Dwikorita Karnawati highlighted the earthquake risk in the region due to the “Flores back-arc thrust fault,” a significant network of west-east thrust faults. The same area was struck by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, causing extensive damage, as reported by Indonesia’s geophysics agency.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago with a population of 290 million, is situated along the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a highly active seismic zone where tectonic plates converge, leading to recurrent earthquakes and volcanic activities.