Thousands awaiting aid in Indonesia after earthquake kills 68

Thousands of people on Indonesia's Flores island are still awaiting aid as the country commemorates its 81st Independence Day, following a powerful earthquake that claimed at least 68 lives, injured over 200 others, and damaged hundreds of homes and buildings. President Prabowo Subianto led a national moment of silence during the Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta, asking participants to pray for those affected by the disaster in East Nusa Tenggara province and other parts of the country.

Over 1,300 homes were damaged, with nearly 250 destroyed in Flores alone, forcing about 5,000 people into temporary shelters. President Subianto also declared a 14-day state of emergency in the province. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers, around 6 a.m. on Saturday, causing residents to flee in panic. Despite tsunami warnings, they later proved unnecessary.

Authorities recorded 1,576 aftershocks since Monday, with only a small percentage felt by residents. On Flores, thousands of people camped outside collapsed homes under tarpaulin tents, sleeping outside due to fears of further aftershocks. The disaster brought back memories of a similar event in 1992 that killed approximately 2,500 people on Flores.

Military and police personnel, along with 10 aircraft, have been deployed to distribute 275 tons of aid. However, logistical challenges have slowed deliveries to some affected communities. Emergency field hospitals were set up in Ruteng, the hardest-hit town, to treat victims after local hospitals were damaged. Rescue teams continue searching for victims, though no families have reported any missing.

Aid workers reached tiny Palue Island, one of the areas nearest to the earthquake's epicenter, after a challenging journey through landslide-prone terrain. Thousands of residents remain in urgent need of assistance following days of isolation. Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire."