Rescue teams are racing against time to find survivors after a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s eastern Flores Island, killing at least 47 people and leaving dozens more injured.
The earthquake struck early Saturday near Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province. The US Geological Survey placed the epicentre about 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende, at a depth of around 10 kilometres.
Search-and-rescue operations have been particularly difficult in areas close to the epicentre. Landslides have blocked roads, including sections of the Trans-Flores highway, while power outages and communication disruptions have made it difficult for emergency teams to reach isolated communities.
Authorities said at least 50 people had been taken to hospitals, while around 2,000 residents were forced to leave their homes and move to temporary shelters. Officials warned that the death toll could rise because some remote villages remained buried or cut off by landslides.
The powerful quake flattened at least 157 homes and damaged nearly 200 others. More than 100 public facilities, including schools, medical centres and places of worship, were also damaged or destroyed.
A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the earthquake, prompting frightened residents in coastal communities to flee to higher ground. The warning was later lifted, although smaller tsunami waves were recorded in several areas. A wave reaching about 1.61 metres was reported in Riung, leaving mud and debris across the coastal community.
The earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, including one measuring magnitude 6.2, adding to fears among residents already shaken by the disaster.
Indonesian authorities have deployed helicopters, rescue vessels and emergency personnel as teams continue searching damaged buildings and remote villages for people who may still be trapped.
Indonesia is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active regions, and frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
With rescue operations continuing and several areas still difficult to access, authorities have warned residents to remain alert for further aftershocks.
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