Thousands await aid after deadly Indonesia quake as rescue work conducted | Earthquakes News
Independence Day Marred by Earthquake Devastation in Indonesia
FLORES, Indonesia — As Indonesia commemorates its Independence Day, thousands are awaiting aid following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the eastern region on Saturday, resulting in at least 54 fatalities and injuring 135 others.
Many residents on Flores Island, located in East Nusa Tenggara province, spent Monday mourning lost loved ones while searching for survivors and waiting for assistance, as several communities remained unreachable due to the earthquake’s impact.
During the national Independence Day ceremony held in Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto urged participants to observe a moment of silence to remember the victims of recent disasters, including the quake, while honoring Indonesia’s independence heroes.
The earthquake damaged over 1,300 homes across East Nusa Tenggara, with nearly 250 buildings destroyed on Flores Island alone. Additionally, numerous public structures, including schools, health facilities, and government offices, sustained damage. In response, the province’s governor declared a 14-day state of emergency on Sunday.
By Monday morning, approximately 12,800 individuals were displaced and sought refuge in temporary shelters across various towns on Flores, according to Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, a spokesman for Indonesia’s national disaster agency, BNPB. Many people resorted to sleeping outdoors under tarpaulin tents due to the persistent threat of aftershocks.
“Our houses are no longer livable; many have collapsed and are filled with cracks, so we can’t go inside anymore,” said Junaidin, a 32-year-old resident of Mbay, as he huddled under a makeshift tent accommodating around 30 people. The disaster evoked memories of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Flores in 1992, claiming approximately 2,500 lives.
Frustration over aid delays was evident, as Junaidin expressed concerns about the lack of government assistance. “There hasn’t been any help – no tents, no medicine, no food, no drinking water, nothing,” he lamented.
The Indonesian Air Force is mobilizing emergency relief efforts, airlifting 13 tons of supplies using two Hercules transport planes and a Boeing. Helicopters will also distribute essential provisions directly to isolated communities. The aid includes food, clothing, clean water, and emergency medical supplies, with military personnel assisting in distribution efforts.
Rescue teams continue to search the affected areas for victims, although no reports of missing individuals have surfaced, according to official Fathur Rahman.
The government plans to set up emergency field hospitals in several locations to treat the injured, Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus announced. In Ruteng, medical staff rushed to establish a tent hospital after local healthcare facilities were damaged. While there is an adequate supply of medications, the inaccessibility of critical equipment for blood tests and X-rays has hampered treatment.
Patients, especially the elderly, face challenges as they are exposed to both harsh daytime heat and cooler nighttime temperatures, complicating their recovery.
Indonesia’s geographic location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” makes it susceptible to frequent seismic activity. One of the most catastrophic events in its history occurred in 2004 when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami, claiming 220,000 lives across the region, including approximately 170,000 in Indonesia.
