Around 5,000 individuals have been relocated following a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, leading to the demise of at least 53 people, obstructing transportation routes, and triggering landslides, as per authorities’ reports on Sunday. Over 130 individuals sustained injuries, many of whom suffered fractures.
The seismic event that occurred on Saturday marked the most fatal earthquake in the Southeast Asian country since a prior incident in 2022 claimed the lives of hundreds in West Java. The Sikka region witnessed over 3,300 individuals either self-evacuating or seeking shelter in a sports complex, according to the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
In Sikka, some residents found themselves stranded outside collapsed residences, taking refuge under makeshift tarps, while others sought medical attention in a temporary tent set up outside a hospital in the port town of Maumere. Abdul Mutas, aged 63, expressed, “I only brought my body,” recounting how he and his family spent the night on a tarp amid trees in Sikka, fleeing when the tides began to rise due to the quake.
Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, revealed that nearly all residents in the area felt unsafe indoors and opted to sleep on porches or under tents. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya disclosed that more than 3,500 military and police personnel were dispatched to the affected region.
Concerns about aftershocks loomed over the now-closed port in Maumere, where inhabitants expressed fear. The disaster agency noted nearly 1,000 aftershocks since the earthquake occurred. In close proximity, hundreds sought refuge in a sports stadium designated as an evacuation site.
As dusk approached, residents queued up for warm beverages while some mothers ingeniously utilized pieces of clothing to fashion cradles for their infants from tent frames. Elsewhere, children engaged in outdoor soccer games.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, head of the local disaster mitigation agency, remarked on the haunting memories evoked by the quake, reminiscent of a previous 1992 incident. Search and rescue efforts concentrated on clearing rubble from the severely impacted areas of Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo to locate potential survivors trapped beneath debris.
Despite nearly complete restoration of power supply, efforts to repair distribution lines were ongoing, according to state utility firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara. A state of emergency was declared for the province by the East Nusa Tenggara government, allowing for resource mobilization and funding allocation, as confirmed by BNPB.
Geological 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 stated by Indonesia’s geophysics agency.
Indonesia, home to a population of 290 million people spread across a vast archipelago, is situated along the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” an active seismic belt where tectonic plates converge, resulting in frequent seismic activities and volcanic eruptions.