Indonesia earthquake forces thousands to evacuate as casualties rise

Reuters reports that the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Saturday was the deadliest since 2022, when hundreds of people died in Indonesia's West Java province.

According to the national disaster mitigation agency, more than 3,300 people in Indonesia's Sikka region — one of the hardest-hit areas — either evacuated on their own or took shelter at a sports arena.

Some Indonesians were reported to have set up camp near their destroyed homes under makeshift tarpaulin tents, while others were receiving treatment in a tent set up next to a hospital.

At the now-closed port of Maumere, which was littered with debris from collapsed roofs and walls, people told Reuters they were afraid of aftershocks.

The disaster agency reported on Sunday that nearly a thousand aftershocks had been recorded since the earthquake.

A rescue agency official told Reuters that the priority was clearing debris in the worst-affected areas of Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo to find people who might still be trapped under the rubble.

The agency had not received reports of missing persons, but rescuers said landslides and aftershocks were hindering search efforts.

Power supply in Indonesia, which had also been affected, was almost fully restored, but authorities were still working to repair distribution lines.

The government of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara declared a state of emergency, allowing authorities to mobilize resources and funding.

Indonesia is a vast archipelago with a population of 290 million, located within the Pacific Ring of Fire — a seismically active zone where tectonic plates meet, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia on the morning of August 15.