{
  "id": 1198616,
  "title": "Indonesian earthquake survivors recount chaotic escape: ‘house collapsed on me’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/indonesian-earthquake-survivors-recount-chaotic-escape-house",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T04:45:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3364170/indonesian-earthquake-survivors-recount-chaotic-escape-house-collapsed-me"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Indonesia's Flores Island, Melania Nius found herself at her husband's hospital bedside when the ground shook violently. The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck just north of the island early Saturday morning, sending patients and their families into a chaotic scramble for safety. As the shaking subsided, Melania and her family, including her husband Basianus Cak, managed to escape through a blocked evacuation route with the help of others. Melania recounted her prayers for survival as they fled, grateful for the chance to live. The quake's epicenter was near Nagekeo, around 200km east of Ruteng, and the hardest-hit area saw over 5,000 inhabitants evacuate. Authorities issued a tsunami warning that was later lifted, but aftershocks continued to threaten the safety of the displaced residents. Tonsianus Sambang, a 31-year-old barber, also experienced the quake while visiting his mother in the hospital. He described the panic as objects fell and walls began to collapse. Tonsianus expressed concern for his mother and other patients who had to sleep outside. Yoktafiana Sinar, a 40-year-old restaurant worker, described the harrowing experience of her house collapsing on top of her, breaking her leg while saving her grandchild. Emergency officials reported that at least 914 houses were severely damaged and hundreds more suffered lesser damage. Public facilities, including 93 educational and 36 health facilities, were also affected. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies began aid preparations, and the government sent 50,000 aid packages weighing 275 tonnes to the area, with the European Union offering further assistance through their Copernicus Earth observation satellites.",
  "summary": "Melania Nius was at her husband’s hospital bedside on Indonesia’s Flores Island when a powerful quake shook their town to its core, sending patients fleeing into the chaos outside. Melania, 56, recounted how she prayed as she fought to get her family to safety. “The four of us – my husband, our two children, and I – were on the bed,” when the 7.7-magnitude rattler struck just north of Flores…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Thousands await aid after deadly Indonesian earthquake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/thousands-await-aid-after-deadly-indonesian-earthquake",
        "published": "2026-08-16T03:23:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}