Indonesia: Thousands Await Aid After Earthquake Kills 68
Indonesia marked its Independence Day on Monday but celebrations have been overshadowed by an earthquake which has left over 60 people dead.
On Sunday evening, Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency announced the arrival of a 13-ton shipment of emergency supplies to the region affected by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. The quake struck off the coast of Flores, a shallow 10-kilometer deep epicenter, on Saturday, leaving at least 68 dead and over 100 injured. The death toll surpassed that of the 2022 West Java earthquake, which claimed hundreds of lives.
President Prabowo Subianto attended Independence Day celebrations in Jakarta, but the focus for local residents was on securing safety and basic necessities. Around 500 homes were damaged, and landslides blocked roads, forcing 12,800 people to remain in makeshift tents. The Indonesian Air Force and military are preparing to deliver aid and construct an emergency field hospital, but medical specialists are urgently needed to treat the injured.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
