Thousands evacuate after Indonesia quake kills 51
Around 5,000 people have been evacuated and 36 people have been seriously injured after a magnitude-7.7 quake struck eastern Indonesia.
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Ruteng in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia on Saturday, killing at least 51 people and causing widespread damage. Around 5,000 residents were evacuated, while 77 others sustained minor injuries. The quake, followed by approximately 341 aftershocks, is the deadliest in the Southeast Asian nation since a 2022 earthquake in West Java that killed hundreds.
More than 3,300 people in the Sikka region self-evacuated or sought shelter in a sports arena. Many residents slept in makeshift tents made of tarps, with some stranded outside collapsed homes. Over 3,500 military and police officers have been deployed to the region to assist with rescue efforts. The disaster mitigation agency BNPB reported that more than 1,300 homes were damaged and that power outages left 20 petrol stations inoperable.
The East Nusa Tenggara government is considering declaring a state of emergency, which would mobilize additional resources and funding. Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Thousands evacuate after Indonesia quake kills 51 freemalaysiatoday.com
