On Saturday morning, a magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara province in Indonesia, leading to the evacuation of around 5,000 residents and causing at least 51 deaths. The quake also resulted in 36 serious injuries and 77 minor injuries, according to Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus.
The region experienced 341 aftershocks, making this the deadliest earthquake in Indonesia since a 2022 incident in West Java that resulted in hundreds of deaths. Many residents in the Sikka region self-evacuated or sought refuge in sports arenas, while others were left stranded outside their collapsed homes.
The local government is considering declaring a state of emergency to facilitate resource mobilization. Over 1,300 homes were reported damaged, and 20 petrol stations were rendered inoperable due to power outages. The Indonesian government has deployed more than 3,500 military and police personnel to assist in rescue efforts, which have been hampered by landslides blocking access to certain areas.
This earthquake underscores Indonesia's vulnerability to seismic events, given its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity