Deadly earthquake on Indonesia's Flores island leaves thousands awaiting aid
A powerful earthquake has struck Indonesia's Flores island, killing 48 people and leaving thousands of residents waiting for aid. The 7.7-magnitude quake hit early yesterday and was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, according to the national disaster agency. People in several areas have been left without electricity and telecommunications, while at least one emergency access road remains blocked.
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The agency said at least 101 people were injured, while about 5,000 residents fled their homes after the shallow offshore quake. Its spokesman, Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, said the death toll rose by one between Saturday night and Sunday morning. He also said the earthquake caused material losses that have paralysed daily life in affected communities.
Damage has been reported to at least 914 houses that were severely affected, with hundreds more damaged to a lesser degree. The quake also struck public infrastructure, including 93 educational facilities, 36 health facilities and 38 government offices. Local search and rescue officials said there were no reports of people buried or missing, and teams were concentrating on search efforts in the affected area.
The immediate priority is now relief for displaced residents, many of whom are staying on hillsides or in temporary shelter because they are afraid to return home. Survivors have asked for food, drinking water, medicines, diapers, blankets, camp beds, mats and emergency tents. Generators are also needed in areas where power has been cut, underlining the scale of the disruption to basic services.
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The disaster has revived memories of a deadly earthquake and tsunami that hit Flores in 1992, when about 2,500 people were killed. That earlier event remains part of the island's recent history and helps explain the fear now being reported by residents. The current quake also comes at a time when access to roads, communications and electricity is already strained in the hardest-hit areas.
What remains unclear is how quickly aid can reach the most isolated communities and whether the full extent of damage will rise as assessments continue. Officials have said the epicentre was just off the island's north coast, and the affected areas have few, if any, high-rise buildings. The next stage will be restoring access, delivering supplies and checking whether any further casualties emerge as rescue work continues.
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