Thousands evacuate after Indonesia quake kills 51, cuts roads
The quake, followed by some 341 aftershocks, is the Southeast Asian nation's deadliest since a 2022
Around 5,000 people have been evacuated following a magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, resulting in 51 deaths and causing widespread damage, officials reported on Sunday. The quake, which was followed by approximately 341 aftershocks, has left 36 people severely injured and 77 with minor injuries, according to Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus.
The disaster has prompted more than 3,300 residents of the Sikka region to evacuate voluntarily or to gather in a sports arena for safety.
Some Sikka residents were stranded outside their collapsed homes under makeshift tents made of tarp, while others received medical treatment in tents set up outside a hospital in the port town of Maumere. Abdul Mutas, a 63-year-old resident, recounted his harrowing experience, stating, "I only brought my body. The tides were rising, so we ran." He and his family sought refuge on a tarp surrounded by trees in the town of Sikka.
Determined to assist in the crisis, more than 3,500 soldiers and police officers have been deployed to the region, as announced by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. Rescuers have successfully reached parts of Maumere previously blocked by landslides, according to Indonesia's search and rescue agency. As of now, there is no official count of missing individuals, but most are believed to be trapped under rubble, with over 1,300 homes damaged, reported by the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
Twenty petrol stations remain inoperable due to power outages, according to state energy firm Pertamina.
The East Nusa Tenggara government is contemplating the declaration of a state of emergency for the province, which would enable authorities to mobilize necessary resources and funding. The region affected by the earthquake was hit by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, which caused extensive destruction, as per Indonesia's geophysics agency.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago home to 290 million people, lies within the "Pacific Ring of Fire," a seismically active zone where tectonic plates converge, resulting in frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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