Around 5,000 individuals have been relocated following a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake in eastern Indonesia, resulting in the loss of at least 53 lives, obstructing transportation routes, and triggering landslides, as per authorities. Reports indicate that over 130 individuals have suffered injuries, with many sustaining fractures.
The earthquake that struck on Saturday stands as the most fatal in the Southeast Asian nation since a quake in 2022 claimed the lives of hundreds in West Java. The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency, BNPB, reported that more than 3,300 individuals in the Sikka region either evacuated voluntarily or sought refuge in a sports arena. Some residents of Sikka found themselves stranded outside collapsed residences, seeking shelter under makeshift tarp tents, while others received medical care in tent facilities outside a hospital in Maumere.
Abdul Mutas, aged 63, expressed, “I only brought my body,” recounting how he and his family sought safety on a tarp amidst trees in Sikka as the quake unfolded. Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, detailed that almost all residents of Sikka opted to sleep outdoors either on a porch or in tents due to safety concerns.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya disclosed that over 3,500 military and police personnel have been dispatched to the impacted area to aid in the response efforts. Fear of potential aftershocks looms over Maumere’s now-closed port, with residents expressing concerns. The disaster agency reported nearly 1,000 aftershocks following the initial quake.
Residents sought refuge in a designated sports stadium nearby, where they queued for warm beverages as the sun set. Mothers ingeniously fashioned makeshift cradles from tent frames for their infants while children engaged in soccer matches outside.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, the head of the region’s disaster mitigation agency, remarked on the quake’s resonance with a traumatic event experienced by residents in 1992. Search operations, primarily focused on clearing debris in severely impacted areas, continue in Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo to locate any individuals potentially trapped.
While power restoration efforts progress, distribution line repairs remain ongoing, according to state utility firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara. An emergency declaration has been issued for the province by the East Nusa Tenggara government, enabling the mobilization of resources and funding for relief operations.
Geology expert Dwikorita Karnawati highlighted the earthquake risk in the region due to the Flores back-arc thrust fault system, a significant network of thrust faults running west to east. The same region was struck by a devastating magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, causing widespread destruction, as indicated by Indonesia’s geophysics agency.
Indonesia, home to a population of 290 million across its vast archipelago, rests within the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a region of high seismic activity where tectonic plate interactions lead to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activities.
