Indonesia family finds 84-year-old woman alive days after earthquake

Sikka, Indonesia - An 84-year-old woman with paralysis, named Paulina Pobi, was discovered alive three days after a powerful earthquake struck her home on Flores island, according to an official on Wednesday. The earthquake, measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, had left the death toll at 73, with over 900 people injured and nearly 60,000 displaced, as reported by the BNPB disaster mitigation agency.

Initially, Paulina's family believed she had been rescued and taken to a shelter, but they retraced their steps to find her on the fourth day. As she was paralysed, she was unable to move or speak, making her rescue a difficult task. Local official Rudolfus Riba revealed that Paulina remained in good health, with no injuries and merely feeling weak due to not eating or drinking for several days.

Since the earthquake, more than 3,000 aftershocks have been recorded, 86 of which were strong enough to be felt by residents. The tremors have caused many to fear returning to their damaged homes. Over 400 tonnes of aid, including food, water, and medicines, have been delivered since Saturday. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an area characterized by intense seismic and volcanic activity stretching from Japan to Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Ocean.

In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami that killed around 220,000 people across the region, with approximately 170,000 fatalities in Indonesia.