Death toll in Indonesia earthquake rises to 51, rescues dig through rubble amid massive devastation

A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, claiming at least 51 lives and causing widespread devastation. Rescue teams recovered four more bodies on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 51, according to authorities. Thousands of residents have been displaced by the quake's aftermath.

The US Geological Survey reported the earthquake hit at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) at 5:58 a.m. local time in Flores region. Panic ensued as tsunami warnings were issued and later canceled. Over 235 aftershocks followed the initial quake, according to Indonesia's meteorological agency.

Rescuers focused on three regencies that remained inaccessible after the earthquake: Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo. They cleared landslides and reopened roads for previously isolated villages, but communication disruptions and power outages continue to impede search efforts. Fathur Rahman, head of the Search and Rescue Office in Maumere, noted that while most landslides were cleared, roads remained a significant barrier.

The quake forced more than 900 homes to be destroyed, with another 450 damaged, leaving about 5,000 people in temporary shelters. Labuan Bajo, a gateway to Komodo National Park, one of Indonesia's most renowned tourist destinations, saw thousands spend the night outdoors fearing aftershocks. Farmer Anastasia Imad described the intensity of the shaking, fearing her house would collapse.

Landslides blocked sections of the Trans-Flores Highway, a 700-kilometer (435-mile) road linking communities. Relief workers distributed rice, ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, blankets and medicine, while emergency shelters for displaced residents were set up. Authorities emphasized restoring electricity and communications, and delivering aid to remote villages as the biggest challenges.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," making it prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Flores has witnessed some of the country's deadliest disasters, including a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 1992 that killed about 2,500 people, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami in 2018 that killed more than 4,400 people, and a magnitude 9.1 quake off Sumatra in 2004 that killed about 230,000 people in a dozen countries.