Around 5,000 people have been evacuated after a powerful magnitude‑7.7 earthquake tore through eastern Indonesia, killing at least 51 and triggering landslides, road blockages and widespread panic. Authorities described it as one of the nation’s most severe quakes in recent years, followed by an extraordinary 341 aftershocks that kept communities on edge.
Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus said 36 people were seriously injured and 77 sustained minor injuries in the Saturday morning disaster in East Nusa Tenggara. The scale of destruction has drawn comparisons to the deadly 2022 West Java earthquake, which claimed hundreds of lives.
In the Sikka region, more than 3,300 people either self‑evacuated or became stranded inside a sports arena. Others sheltered under makeshift tarpaulin tents beside collapsed homes, while some patients received treatment in temporary medical tents outside Maumere’s hospital.
“Almost all of Sikka’s residents didn’t dare stay indoors,” said Deputy Regent Simon Subandi in an interview with KompasTV. “They slept on porches or in tents outside.”
More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, as rescue teams race to reach isolated areas. Search and rescue officials confirmed they have regained access to parts of Maumere previously cut off by landslides. Many of the missing are believed to be trapped under rubble, and the BNPB reported damage to over 1,300 homes.
The quake also disrupted essential services. Twenty petrol stations remain non‑operational due to power outages, state energy firm Pertamina said.
Indonesia, located on the volatile Ring of Fire, faces frequent seismic threats but officials say this latest disaster underscores the urgent need for stronger infrastructure and faster emergency response systems.
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