An estimated 5,000 individuals were forced to evacuate following a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, resulting in a death toll of at least 53 and causing widespread road blockages and landslides. Authorities reported over 130 people sustaining injuries, many of them with fractures. This recent seismic event marked Indonesia’s deadliest since a devastating quake in 2022 that claimed hundreds of lives in West Java.
The disaster mitigation agency BNPB disclosed that more than 3,300 individuals in the Sikka region either self-evacuated or sought refuge in a sports arena. In the aftermath, some Sikka residents found themselves stranded outside their collapsed homes, seeking shelter under makeshift tarps, while others received medical attention in tent facilities outside a hospital in Maumere.
Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, revealed that the majority of the region’s residents opted to sleep outdoors on porches or makeshift tents due to fear of aftershocks. The government swiftly deployed over 3,500 military and police personnel to assist in the affected region, as confirmed by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Residents in Maumere expressed concerns about potential aftershocks at the now-closed port, which bore the brunt of structural damage from the earthquake. The disaster agency reported nearly 1,000 aftershocks occurring post the initial quake. Nearby, hundreds of evacuees sought refuge in a sports stadium, where they queued for warm beverages, with mothers ingeniously creating makeshift cradles for their infants using tent frames.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, head of the regional disaster mitigation agency, noted that the seismic event invoked memories of a previous earthquake in 1992, emphasizing the emotional impact on residents. Search and rescue efforts focused on clearing rubble in severely affected areas to locate any trapped individuals, with challenges posed by landslides and ongoing aftershocks.
While power restoration efforts progressed, repairs to distribution lines remained ongoing, according to state utility firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara. The East Nusa Tenggara government declared a province-wide emergency, allowing for the mobilization of essential resources and funding to support relief operations.
An expert in geology, Dwikorita Karnawati, highlighted the earthquake-prone nature of the region due to the presence of the “Flores back-arc thrust fault,” a significant network of thrust faults. The affected area previously experienced a destructive magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, as reported by Indonesia’s geophysics agency. Indonesia, with its vast population of 290 million spread across numerous islands, sits within the volatile “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a zone known for frequent seismic activity and volcanic eruptions.