A powerful Indonesia earthquake killed at least 51 people and injured more than 100 others in East Nusa Tenggara, authorities said on Sunday.
The magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck the region on Saturday morning. It damaged more than 1,300 homes, blocked roads and triggered landslides.
Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus said 36 people suffered serious injuries. Another 77 people sustained minor injuries.
The earthquake also generated about 341 aftershocks, officials said. It is Indonesia’s deadliest earthquake since a 2022 tremor killed hundreds of people in West Java.
Thousands evacuated after earthquake
Around 5,000 people have left their homes following the disaster. More than 3,300 people in Sikka either evacuated themselves or sought shelter at a sports arena, according to Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB.
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Many residents remained afraid to return indoors. Some slept under makeshift tarpaulin shelters near damaged homes.
“I only brought my body,” 63-year-old Abdul Mutas told Reuters after spending the night outdoors with his family.
He said rising tides prompted them to flee their home after the earthquake.
Simon Subandi, deputy regent of Sikka, said many residents avoided their homes. Instead, they spent the night on porches or in tents outside.
Rescue teams reach landslide-hit areas
More than 3,500 military and police personnel have deployed to the affected region, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said.
Rescue teams have also reached parts of Maumere that landslides had cut off. Authorities continue to assess the damage and search affected areas.
BNPB said officials had not yet established the number of missing people. Many victims remained trapped under rubble, according to the agency.
Hospitals have treated some injured residents in outdoor tents. The makeshift facilities helped medical teams manage patients after the earthquake.
Power outages disrupt fuel supplies
The earthquake also disrupted essential services across the region.
State energy company Pertamina said 20 petrol stations remained closed because of power outages.
Meanwhile, the East Nusa Tenggara government is considering declaring a provincial emergency. Such a declaration would allow authorities to mobilise additional resources and funding.
The affected region experienced another major earthquake in 1992. Indonesia’s geophysics agency said a magnitude-7.5 earthquake caused extensive destruction there at the time.
Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active seismic zones. The region frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because several tectonic plates meet there.
