JAKARTA, Indonesia: Indonesia has declared a 14-day emergency response period after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the eastern part of Flores island, killing at least 53 people and injuring more than 100, state media reported on Sunday.
The emergency response will remain in effect until August 28, under a decree issued by the East Nusa Tenggara provincial government, Antara news agency reported.
The measure is intended to facilitate search and rescue operations, evacuations, relief distribution and recovery efforts in the affected areas.
Rescuers continued searching for survivors on Sunday as authorities worked to reopen roads, restore communications and electricity, and deliver aid to communities isolated by landslides.
Rescue operations continue in Indonesia
Authorities have recorded 995 aftershocks since Saturday’s earthquake, although only 46 were felt by residents, National Disaster Management Agency disaster prevention chief Abdul Muhari said.
The agency said at least 135 people had been injured. The National Search and Rescue Agency separately put the number of injured at 101.
About 5,000 people fled their homes after the powerful quake, according to disaster management agency spokesman Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan.
🚨7.7-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia, killing 2; several buildings collapse, people injured and tsunami warning issued pic.twitter.com/tHF3zME7dy
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Nearly 6,000 people were taking refuge in Sikka, Manggarai, Nagekeo, Bima and Selayar, according to the provincial government.
At least 24 people were killed in Manggarai regency and 17 in neighbouring East Manggarai, with additional deaths reported in Sikka, Ngada and Ende, the disaster agency said.
The earthquake destroyed more than 900 homes and damaged hundreds more. Authorities said 914 houses had been damaged, while 93 educational facilities, 36 health facilities and 38 government offices were also affected.
The earthquake’s epicentre was located just off Flores’ northern coast, according to geological authorities.
Landslides hamper access to Indonesia quake-hit areas
Rescuers were digging through debris and searching areas affected by landslides across six regencies on Flores island.
Operations were focused on Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo, where access remained difficult after the earthquake.
Fathur Rahman, head of the Search and Rescue Office in Maumere, the capital of Sikka regency, said most landslides had been cleared and roads to previously isolated villages reopened.
But communication disruptions and power outages continued to hamper rescue efforts, he said.
Landslides also blocked sections of the Trans-Flores Highway, a roughly 700-kilometre road linking communities across the mountainous island.
Also Read: Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 47 as Rescuers Search for Survivors
Authorities said restoring electricity and communications and reaching remote villages cut off by landslides remained among the biggest challenges.
Aid reaches affected areas
Relief workers distributed rice, ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, blankets and medicine, while emergency shelters were being established for displaced residents.
The government has sent supplies to affected areas, with the latest provincial report putting the total at 27 tonnes.
President Prabowo Subianto urged cross-sector cooperation to ensure a swift and targeted response and instructed officials to assess conditions directly at disaster sites.
State-owned energy company Pertamina said 32 fuel stations in the region were operating on Sunday, while 20 remained closed because of earthquake damage.
Several distribution outlets were also temporarily suspended as a precaution until inspections were completed and the facilities were declared safe.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said preparations were under way to provide assistance to thousands of people sheltering in temporary accommodation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also offered support from the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite programme, saying it could assist search and rescue operations.
The earthquake also struck Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo National Park and one of Indonesia’s best-known tourist destinations.
Thousands of people in Labuan Bajo spent the night outdoors because of fears over strong aftershocks.
Indonesia prone to major quakes
Indonesia is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a horseshoe-shaped zone of seismic faults and volcanoes.
Flores has suffered several major disasters. A powerful earthquake and tsunami in 1992 killed about 2,500 people on the island.
In 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake triggered a tsunami on Sulawesi, killing more than 4,400 people.
In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered a massive tsunami that killed about 230,000 people across a dozen countries.
