Kathmandu— A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia’s Flores region at 5:58 a.m. local time on Saturday, resulting in at least 51 deaths and widespread damage, authorities reported Sunday. The quake triggered landslides across six regencies on Flores island, displacing thousands of people and causing significant infrastructure disruption. Rescue teams are continuing to search for those feared buried under debris, focusing efforts on the hardest-hit areas while grappling with communication outages and power failures.

Earthquake and Aftershocks

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). Following the initial quake, Indonesia's meteorological agency recorded at least 235 aftershocks, prompting tsunami warnings that were later lifted. Residents in affected areas experienced intense shaking, leading many to flee their homes in panic.

Rescue and Relief Operations

Rescuers have been digging through landslides in the Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo regencies – which remain largely inaccessible – searching for survivors. Fathur Rahman, head of the Search and Rescue Office in Maumere, stated that most landslides had been cleared and roads to isolated villages reopened, though communication disruptions and power outages continue to impede progress. The National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed 101 injuries and reported over 900 homes destroyed or damaged, leaving approximately 5,000 people displaced.

Impact on Communities and Tourism

Thousands of residents in Labuan Bajo, a popular gateway to Komodo National Park, spent the night outdoors fearing further aftershocks. Anastasia Imad, a farmer whose home was damaged, described the shaking as terrifying and expressed fear that her house would collapse during subsequent tremors. Landslides also blocked sections of the Trans-Flores Highway, disrupting travel across the mountainous island. Relief workers are distributing essential supplies like rice, ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, blankets, and medicine to those affected, while emergency shelters are being established.

Indonesia's Seismic Activity

Indonesia is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” making it highly susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Flores has a history of devastating disasters, including a 1992 earthquake and tsunami that killed around 2,500 people. More recently, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake triggered a tsunami on Sulawesi in 2018, claiming over 4,400 lives, and the 2004 Sumatra quake unleashed a devastating tsunami across multiple countries, resulting in approximately 230,000 fatalities.

Authorities are prioritizing restoring electricity and communications while continuing to deliver aid to remote villages cut off by landslides. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed as rescue efforts continue.

(With inputs from RN)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.