FLORES, AUGUST 16: A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia, leaving at least 47 people dead and over 100 injured across the island of Flores, disaster response officials stated Sunday. The seismic event triggered major landslides, destroyed upwards of 900 homes, and displaced roughly 5,000 residents into emergency shelters. Emergency responders are currently wading through debris and mud to uncover trapped individuals across six affected regencies, including Manggarai, East Manggarai, Sikka, Ngada, and Ende.
According to data provided by the United States Geological Survey, the shallow quake struck off the coast of Flores at a depth of 10 kilometers, positioned approximately 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende. The shockwaves reverberated across East Nusa Tenggara province, inducing widespread panic and forcing thousands to spend the night outdoors under threat of heavy aftershocks.
Disaster response personnel noted that restoring power grids, opening telecommunication lines, and clearing blocked roads remain critical challenges. In accessibility terms, landslides along the 700-kilometer Trans-Flores Highway temporarily cut off isolated communities, though search crews have managed to reopen routes to several remote villages.
“We have cleared most landslides and reopened roads to previously isolated villages, although communication disruptions and power outages continue to hamper search efforts,” declared Fathur Rahman, head of the Search and Rescue Office in Maumere. He affirmed that emergency teams are concentrating their work on digging out collapsed structures in the most damaged districts.
Local residents expressed fear over potential structural collapses as minor tremors continued to shake the region.
“The shaking was terrifying, so intense that my house nearly collapsed,” stated Anastasia Imad, a farmer in Labuan Bajo who sought shelter in a makeshift tent. “We feared the aftershocks would bring it down on us while we slept.”
Relief operations involving ready-to-eat meals, clean water, blankets, and medicine distribution are actively underway across temporary camps in East Nusa Tenggara.
