Thousands await aid after Indonesia quake kills 51

Indonesia's Flores island has been devastated by a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Saturday, killing 51 people and injuring at least 132. The quake, which struck early Saturday, was followed by at least 341 aftershocks. Some 5,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes as the tremors caused severe damage to over 900 houses and left many others moderately damaged.

Emergency access roads were also rendered inaccessible in some areas, with power and telecommunications services disrupted. Residents, terrified by the experience, have sought refuge on hilltops, fearing aftershocks, including 55-year-old Nurhidayati, who spent the night on a hill, still traumatized by the 1992 quake that killed about 2,500 people.

BNPB head Suharyanto confirmed that at least five helicopters, several planes, a naval vessel, and search and rescue ships have been dispatched to provide aid. The affected areas have few high-rise buildings, and the epicenter was located off the north coast of the island. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has initiated preparations to bring aid to thousands in temporary shelters, while the government has sent 50,000 aid packages weighing 275 tonnes to the region.