Indonesia earthquake death toll hits 53 as thousands remain displaced

Thousands of residents of Indonesia’s Flores island were still sleeping outdoors on Monday after a powerful earthquake killed 53 people and left more than 12,800 unable to return home.

Many survivors spent a second night in makeshift camps at schools, police stations and government offices, while others remained outside their damaged homes amid fears of further tremors.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck early Saturday off the northern coast of Flores. 

More than 100 people were injured, while authorities said there were no reports of anyone missing.

Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, spokesman for Indonesia’s national disaster agency BNPB, said the displaced residents were spread across several towns on the island.ajke 

In Mbay, the town closest to the epicentre, residents built temporary shelters with tarpaulins and poles. Junaidin, 32, said his house was no longer safe because of collapsed sections and large cracks.

He said residents were returning home only to collect essential items before spending the night outside.

The disaster has revived painful memories of the 1992 Flores earthquake, which was also measured at 7.7 magnitude and triggered a tsunami that killed around 2,500 people.

Junaidin said many residents were still waiting for basic supplies, including tents, food, medicine and drinking water.

The Indonesian Air Force said it was sending 13 tonnes of emergency supplies using two Hercules aircraft and a Boeing. Helicopters were also being deployed to deliver aid to isolated communities.

The supplies include food, clothing, clean water and emergency medical equipment, while military personnel have been assigned to help distribute them.

“We fled with nothing. Just the clothes on our backs,” said Siti Saudah Daso, a 31-year-old mother of three from Mbay.

Meanwhile, search and rescue teams continued checking affected areas by land and air despite authorities receiving no reports of missing people.

Search and rescue official Fathur Rahman said helicopters were being used to inspect areas that remained difficult to reach.

The shallow earthquake caused extensive damage across Flores. 

BNPB said at least 914 houses were severely damaged, while hundreds more suffered lighter damage. Schools, health facilities and government offices were also affected.

Save the Children said more than 8,000 children were facing safety concerns and disruptions to their education because of the disaster.

Indonesia is highly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of intense seismic activity stretching through Japan, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The country suffered one of the world’s deadliest natural disasters in 2004 when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed about 220,000 people across the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.