Key facts
- A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Indonesia's Flores island on Saturday.
- At least 54 people were killed and 135 injured.
- More than 1,300 homes were damaged, with nearly 250 destroyed on Flores.
- Around 5,000 people were displaced and are in temporary shelters.
- A 14-day state of emergency has been declared for the province.
- Thousands of residents are still awaiting aid, including food, medicine, and clean water.
Thousands of people on the Indonesian island of Flores are still awaiting aid following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 54 people, injured dozens, and damaged hundreds of homes. The disaster occurred just days before the country's 81st Independence Day, overshadowing national celebrations.
Many residents spent Monday mourning victims, searching for loved ones, and camping outside their damaged homes due to the risk of aftershocks. The earthquake, which struck East Nusa Tenggara province on Saturday at a depth of 10 kilometers, damaged over 1,300 homes, with nearly 250 destroyed on Flores alone. Approximately 5,000 people have been forced into temporary shelters, and 135 were injured, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
The province's governor declared a 14-day state of emergency on Sunday. The disaster has revived painful memories for some residents, recalling the devastating 1992 earthquake and tsunami that killed about 2,500 people on Flores. Survivors in the hardest-hit village of Reo are urgently requesting food, medicine, clean water, and cooking equipment, with some questioning the lack of public kitchens.
Indonesia, situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," is highly susceptible to seismic activity. The country has experienced several major earthquakes and tsunamis in recent years, including a 2018 quake on Sulawesi that killed over 4,400 people and the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed approximately 230,000 lives across a dozen countries.