Thousands await aid after deadly Indonesia quake as rescue work under way

Thousands of people are awaiting aid in the eastern Indonesian region that suffered a powerful earthquake, which killed dozens and left many injured. The death toll has increased from 54 to 68, according to an official at Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency. Over 200 individuals have been injured in the disaster. Residents on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province have spent Monday looking for relatives and waiting for aid to reach communities still isolated by the magnitude 7.7 earthquake.

President Prabowo Subianto, during Indonesia's Independence Day ceremony, asked participants to pray for the affected people and pay tribute to the country's independence heroes with a moment of silence. The quake struck East Nusa Tenggara on Saturday, damaging over 1,300 homes, with nearly 250 destroyed on Flores alone. More than 12,800 people couldn't return to their homes by Monday morning, staying in temporary shelters spread across several towns on Flores.

Many have slept in makeshift tents due to the risk of further aftershocks. Memories of the 1992 earthquake and tsunami in Flores, which killed around 2,500 people, have resurfaced among residents. One resident, Junaidin, expressed frustration over the lack of government aid, stating that no tents, medicine, food, or drinking water have arrived.

The Indonesian air force has airlifted 13 tonnes of emergency supplies using two Hercules planes and a Boeing, and helicopters are on standby to deliver aid to remote areas. Rescuers continue searching for victims, despite not receiving any reports of missing individuals. Indonesia is also constructing an emergency field hospital to treat the injured, as medical facilities in the affected areas have been damaged and cannot provide essential equipment for blood tests and X-rays.