Indonesia quake kills 51, forces thousands to evacuate in East Nusa Tenggara

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.7 struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, killing at least 51 people and forcing around 5,000 residents to evacuate, according to officials. The quake hit East Nusa Tenggara province in the morning, triggering landslides and damaging hundreds of buildings, including homes, hospitals, and roads.

The disaster agency BNPB reported 36 people seriously injured and 77 with minor injuries, as stated by Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus during a televised meeting. The quake was followed by 341 aftershocks, making it the deadliest in Indonesia since a 2022 earthquake in West Java that killed hundreds.

More than 3,300 people in the Sikka region either self-evacuated or took shelter in a sports arena, BNPB said. In the port town of Maumere, residents were seen outside collapsed homes, with some receiving medical treatment in a tent set up outside a hospital. Many families spent the night under makeshift tarpaulin shelters, fearing further tremors.

Abdul Mutas, a 63-year-old resident, told Reuters he fled with his family as the quake struck. “I only brought my body. The tides were rising, so we ran,” he said. Simon Subandi, deputy regent of Sikka, told KompasTV that “almost all of Sikka's residents didn't dare stay indoors, so they slept on a porch or a tent outside.”

The government has deployed more than 3,500 military and police personnel to the affected region, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. Rescuers reached parts of Maumere that had been cut off by landslides, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing. BNPB said more than 1,300 homes were damaged, and at least 20 petrol stations were not operational due to power outages.

The East Nusa Tenggara government is considering declaring an emergency for the province, which would allow authorities to mobilise additional resources and funding.

On Flores Island, thousands of evacuees waited for help as the quake damaged hundreds of houses and buildings. BNPB spokesman Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan said some areas were without electricity and telecommunications, and at least one emergency access road remained blocked.

“We need food, drink, medicines, and diapers for the children,” said Umri, a 55-year-old resident of Nangahale village on the north coast of Flores, who has been hiding on a hilltop with others. Nurhidayati, also 55, spent the night on a mat on the same hill. “I'm still terrified; my heart is pounding hard remembering yesterday's tremor,” she said, adding that she is traumatised by a 1992 earthquake and does not dare to go home.

At least 101 Flores residents were reported injured, Mr. Berton said. “In addition to the loss of life, the offshore earthquake caused material losses that have paralysed residents' daily activities,” he said in a statement. Survivors urgently need emergency tents, food, medicines, blankets, camp beds, mats, clean water, and electricity generators, he added. The death toll rose by one from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage and coordinate relief efforts.