Rescue crews were searching collapsed buildings and landslide debris on Flores in eastern Indonesia on Sunday, a day after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake killed at least 47 people and injured more than 100. Thousands of residents were displaced, while others slept outdoors because of fears that aftershocks could bring down damaged homes.
The earthquake struck about 68km north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, according to the US Geological Survey. It occurred at a depth of about 10km off Flores and triggered landslides across six regencies, leaving some remote villages difficult to reach.
Search operations continue across Flores
The national disaster management agency said at least 24 people died in Manggarai regency and 17 in neighbouring East Manggarai. Additional fatalities were reported in Sikka, Ngada and Ende regencies, while rescuers continued looking for people feared buried beneath landslides.
Search teams resumed work in areas that had remained inaccessible, particularly in Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo. Fathur Rahman, head of the search and rescue office in Maumere, said crews were concentrating on rubble from collapsed homes and other buildings.
Related coverage: Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off Flores Island.
Damage has forced thousands into temporary shelters
The disaster agency said the earthquake destroyed more than 900 homes and damaged nearly 450 others. About 5,000 people were in temporary shelters, and at least 167 public facilities, including schools, health centres and churches, were damaged.
Relief workers began distributing rice, ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, blankets and medicine as emergency shelters were established. Restoring electricity and communications, and reaching villages isolated by landslides, remained major challenges.
Roads and communications remain a concern
Landslides blocked sections of the Trans-Flores Highway, a roughly 700km road linking communities across the mountainous island. Rahman said most landslides had been cleared and roads to previously isolated villages reopened, but power outages and communication disruptions continued to hinder the response.
More context: Rescue teams race to find survivors after powerful earthquake hits southern Japan.
The earthquake also struck Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo national park. Residents there continued to avoid damaged homes; Anastasia Imad, a farmer, said the shaking was so intense that her house nearly collapsed and that her family feared aftershocks.
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