A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, killing at least 53 people and displacing thousands as residents urgently evacuated. The disaster triggered nearly 1,000 aftershocks, with numerous buildings collapsed and fears of a tsunami intensifying across the region.
Residents described the devastation: “The quake was massive, the shock was so strong,” one individual recounted. “There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves.”
Tsunami waves measuring less than 1 meter (3 feet) were recorded in several areas following the early-morning tremor. Authorities lifted tsunami warnings three hours later after initial alerts. In the port town of Maumere, officials reported 20 deaths, six injuries, and two people trapped under rubble.
Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), stated that residents remained trapped in multiple structures while landslides blocked critical roads. Teams faced significant challenges reaching Nagekeo due to impassable terrain, with mobile communications disrupted across the region. Approximately 2,000 residents evacuated homes and government buildings in Nagekeo alone, where damage was reported to warehouses and infrastructure.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena confirmed at least five fatalities occurred when buildings collapsed during sleep. The U.S. Geological Survey identified the epicenter as 42 miles north-northwest of Ende city in East Nusa Tenggara province. A subsequent magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck western Sumatra, adding to the crisis.
Over 900 homes were destroyed and 450 damaged across East Nusa Tenggara province, forcing about 5,000 people into temporary shelters. The Flores region alone saw at least 241 homes damaged. East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Rudi Darmoko warned that power outages and landslides had severely hampered emergency response efforts, including the critical Trans-Flores highway linking Labuan Bajo to Larantuka.
Authorities reported extensive damage to public facilities, including schools, medical centers, and churches, with over 100 structures destroyed in the wake of the earthquake.