Around 5,000 individuals have been relocated following a severe magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, resulting in a death toll of at least 53 individuals, obstructing roads, and triggering landslides, as per authorities on Sunday. Over 130 people have sustained injuries, many of whom have suffered broken bones.
Saturday’s earthquake marked the deadliest incident in the Southeast Asian nation since a quake in 2022 claimed the lives of hundreds in West Java. The Sikka region saw over 3,300 individuals self-evacuating or seeking shelter in a sports arena, according to the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
Following the quake, numerous Sikka residents found themselves stranded outside collapsed residences, seeking refuge under makeshift tarps. Some individuals received medical attention in tents outside a hospital in Maumere, a port town.
Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, reported that almost all residents in Sikka chose not to stay indoors, opting instead to sleep on porches or under makeshift tents. To aid the affected region, more than 3,500 military and police personnel have been dispatched, as confirmed by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Concerns about aftershocks linger among residents, particularly in Maumere, where the port area remains closed due to debris from collapsed structures. The disaster agency disclosed that nearly 1,000 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquake. A sports stadium nearby has been designated as an evacuation location, with hundreds of residents seeking refuge there.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, the head of the region’s disaster mitigation agency, noted that the recent quake evoked memories of a previous 1992 earthquake, instilling a sense of trauma among residents. Search operations are ongoing in severely impacted areas to clear rubble and locate any individuals possibly trapped beneath it.
Despite almost full restoration of power supply, efforts are still underway to repair distribution lines. The East Nusa Tenggara government has declared a province-wide emergency, enabling authorities to mobilize resources and funds efficiently. Geology expert Dwikorita Karnawati highlighted the earthquake risk in the region due to the “Flores back-arc thrust fault,” a significant system of thrust faults running west to east. Indonesia, home to a population of 290 million people, is situated in the seismically active “Pacific Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates intersect, leading to frequent seismic activities and volcanic eruptions.
