MBAY, Indonesia: Thousands of people displaced by a powerful earthquake in eastern Indonesia are sheltering in schools, police stations and government buildings as more than 1,600 aftershocks continue to shake Flores island.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck early on Saturday and killed at least 54 people and injured more than 100, according to rescue officials. No people have been reported missing.
The number of people unable to return home had risen to about 12,800 by Monday, according to Indonesia’s national disaster agency.
Residents Sleep Outside
Many residents were preparing to spend a third night outdoors, fearing that damaged buildings could collapse during further tremors.
In Mbay, the town closest to the epicentre, residents have built makeshift shelters from tarpaulins and poles.
“Our houses are no longer liveable, because many have collapsed and are full of cracks, so we can’t go inside anymore,” resident Junaidin, 32, told AFP.
“We only go back home to get water, clothes, pillows, and then we… spend the nights here.”
The earthquake has revived memories of a 7.7-magnitude quake that struck Flores in 1992, triggering a tsunami that killed about 2,500 people.
Calls For More Aid
Some survivors have expressed frustration over what they described as delays in receiving emergency assistance.
“We’re on our own here,” Junaidin said, adding that residents had not yet received tents, medicine, food or drinking water.
“Please open your eyes, government. We are your people, we are part of you. So please look after us.”
The Indonesian Air Force said it was transporting 13 tonnes of emergency supplies to the affected region using two Hercules aircraft and a Boeing aircraft.
The supplies include food, clothing, clean water and emergency medical equipment. Helicopters are also being deployed to reach isolated communities.
Homes And Public Buildings Damaged
Rescue teams continue to search affected areas for possible victims, although officials said there were no reports of missing people.
At least 914 homes were severely damaged, while hundreds of others sustained lighter damage, according to the disaster agency.
Schools, health facilities and government offices were also among the public buildings affected.
Save the Children said more than 8,000 children were facing safety risks and disruption to their education following the earthquake.
Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific.
In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami that killed about 220,000 people across the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.
