Thousands of individuals on the Indonesian island of Flores were still in need of assistance on Monday following a powerful earthquake that resulted in a death toll of at least 68 people, with over 200 others sustaining injuries and numerous homes and buildings sustaining damage. In East Nusa Tenggara province, many residents awaited aid while grieving the loss of victims.
The aftermath of the quake included extensive destruction, with structures collapsing onto vehicles, residences in ruins, and roads obstructed by trees and boulders. Rasyid Jafar, a resident of the severely affected village of Reo, described his home as reduced to rubble, emphasizing the urgent requirements for food, medical supplies, and clean water.
President Prabowo Subianto, during Indonesia’s Independence Day observance in Jakarta, urged participants to pray for those impacted by disasters in East Nusa Tenggara and other regions, leading a national moment of silence to honor the nation’s heroes.
The earthquake, which struck with a depth of 10 kilometers in East Nusa Tenggara province early Saturday morning, resulted in damage to over 4,500 homes, displacement of 19,000 individuals into temporary shelters, injuries to 213 people, and harm to numerous health facilities, schools, and places of worship.
A state of emergency lasting 14 days was declared by the province’s governor on Sunday. Subsequent to the quake, approximately 1,576 aftershocks were recorded, with some felt by residents, while aid efforts were hindered by logistical challenges in reaching severely affected communities.
Efforts to assist affected populations included the deployment of nearly 1,500 military and police personnel, supported by 10 aircraft delivering 275 tonnes of aid. Emergency field hospitals were established in Ruteng to treat victims, as local healthcare facilities were damaged. Rescue operations continued, although no missing individuals were reported by residents.
Aid workers managed to reach Palue Island, near the quake’s epicenter, after facing obstacles due to landslides, providing much-needed assistance to isolated residents. Indonesia, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is susceptible to seismic and volcanic events due to its location.
The recent earthquake in Flores follows past natural disasters in Indonesia, including a devastating quake and tsunami in 1992 on the same island, as well as significant events in 2004 and 2018 that resulted in widespread casualties.