Thousands of individuals in Flores, Indonesia, were awaiting assistance on Monday following a strong earthquake that resulted in a minimum of 68 fatalities, over 200 injuries, and significant damage to numerous structures. Communities in Flores island, part of East Nusa Tenggara province, were still isolated by the quake, with residents grieving for the victims and hoping for aid to reach them soon.
The earthquake caused extensive destruction, including collapsed buildings, shattered homes, and blocked roads with debris like trees and boulders. Rasyid Jafar, a local clothing trader in Reo village, described his house as now reduced to rubble, emphasizing the urgent need for essentials such as food, medicine, and clean water.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, during the country’s Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta, called for prayers for the affected individuals in East Nusa Tenggara and other impacted regions, leading a moment of silence to honor the nation’s heroes. The earthquake, with a depth of 10 kilometers, struck early on Saturday, damaging over 4,500 homes, displacing around 19,000 people to temporary shelters, and causing injuries to 213 individuals. The disaster also affected numerous health facilities, schools, and places of worship in the region.
The governor of East Nusa Tenggara declared a 14-day state of emergency in response to the situation. Following the quake, there were approximately 1,576 aftershocks recorded, with about 50 felt by residents. Thousands of residents in Flores were forced to camp outside damaged homes, with tarpaulin tents providing temporary shelter due to the ongoing risk of aftershocks.
Nearly 1,500 military and police personnel were deployed to the affected area, supported by aircraft distributing aid to the region. Emergency field hospitals were set up in Ruteng town to treat earthquake victims due to the damage sustained by local hospitals. Rescue operations were ongoing, although no missing individuals had been reported by residents.
Aid workers managed to reach Palue Island, near the quake’s epicenter, after a challenging journey through landslide-affected terrain. The region remained in urgent need of assistance, with significant damage reported and some residents requiring medical attention. Indonesia, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is prone to seismic activities and volcanic eruptions due to its geographic location.
Past seismic events in Indonesia, such as the 1992 earthquake and tsunami in Flores that claimed 2,500 lives, the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and ensuing tsunami that caused widespread devastation, and the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami that resulted in significant casualties, highlight the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters.