An estimated 5,000 individuals were forced to evacuate following a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, resulting in a minimum of 53 fatalities, road blockages, and landslides, as reported by authorities on Sunday. Over 130 individuals sustained injuries, many of them suffering from broken bones.
This earthquake on Saturday marked the deadliest in Indonesia since a devastating quake in 2022 that claimed hundreds of lives in West Java. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency, BNPB, disclosed that more than 3,300 people in the Sikka region either self-evacuated or sought refuge in a sports arena.
In the aftermath, some Sikka residents found themselves stranded outdoors near collapsed residences, seeking shelter under makeshift tarps. Meanwhile, injured individuals received medical attention in tents outside a hospital in the port town of Maumere.
Simon Subandi, the deputy regent of Sikka, revealed that the majority of Sikka residents opted to sleep outdoors on porches or in tents due to safety concerns. To aid those affected, over 3,500 military and police personnel were dispatched to the region, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Amid fears of aftershocks, residents in Maumere expressed trepidation, with nearly 1,000 aftershocks recorded by the disaster agency. A significant number of residents sought refuge in a sports stadium designated as an evacuation site, where they lined up for warm beverages as evening descended. Parents improvised cradles for their infants using pieces of clothing tied to tent frames, while children engaged in soccer games outside.
Margaretha Movaldes Da Maga Bapa, head of the regional disaster mitigation agency, stated that the earthquake evoked memories of a previous devastating quake in 1992, emphasizing the emotional impact on residents. Search and rescue efforts focused on clearing rubble in severely affected areas to locate any potential survivors. While power supply was nearly fully restored, repair work on distribution lines continued, as announced by state utility firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara on Sunday.
The East Nusa Tenggara government declared a state of emergency for the province, enabling authorities to mobilize resources and funding swiftly, according to BNPB. Geology expert Dwikorita Karnawati highlighted the seismic vulnerability of the region due to the presence of the “Flores back-arc thrust fault,” a critical system of thrust faults. The area had previously experienced a destructive magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, causing widespread devastation, as stated by Indonesia’s geophysics agency.
Indonesia, with a population of 290 million scattered across its vast archipelago, lies within the seismically active “Pacific Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plate interactions result in frequent earthquakes and volcanic activities.