Thousands of people displaced by a powerful earthquake in eastern Indonesia spent another night away from their homes on Monday, as they waited for emergency assistance and feared returning to buildings damaged by the disaster.
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck early on Saturday and killed 54 people, while more than 100 others were injured. Rescue officials said there had been no reports of missing people.
The number of people unable to return home had risen to 12,800 by Monday morning, according to Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Those displaced were spread across several communities on Flores Island.
Many residents were preparing to spend a third night outdoors because more than 1,600 aftershocks had been recorded following the main earthquake, according to Indonesia’s geological agency, BMKG.
In the town of Mbay, in Nagekeo Regency near the earthquake’s epicentre, residents were seen sleeping in makeshift shelters constructed from tarpaulins and poles.
One resident, 32-year-old Junaidin, said many homes had become unsafe because of collapsed sections and extensive cracks.
“Our houses are no longer liveable, because many have collapsed and are full of cracks, so we can’t go inside anymore,” Junaidin said outside a makeshift tent where about 30 people were sleeping.
“We only go back home to get water, clothes, pillows, and then we… spend the nights here.”
The disaster has also revived painful memories for residents who experienced another magnitude 7.7 earthquake on Flores in 1992. That earthquake triggered a tsunami and killed about 2,500 people.
Junaidin expressed frustration over what he described as delays in receiving government assistance, particularly as Indonesia marked Independence Day with celebrations in the capital, Jakarta.
“As for help from the government, there hasn’t been any — no tents, no medicine, no food, no drinking water, nothing,” he said.
“Please open your eyes, government. We are your people, we are part of you. So please look after us.”
The Indonesian authorities subsequently began increasing the delivery of emergency supplies to affected communities.
The Indonesian Air Force said it was transporting 13 tonnes of relief materials using two Hercules aircraft and a Boeing aircraft. Helicopters were also being deployed to deliver supplies directly to survivors in isolated areas, according to the state news agency Antara.
The emergency supplies include food, clothing, clean water and medical equipment, while military personnel have been deployed to assist with distribution from key supply centres.
For residents who fled their homes with little or nothing, however, assistance remains urgently needed.
“We fled with nothing. Just the clothes on our backs. We’re victims; we’re going through a disaster,” said 31-year-old Siti Saudah Daso, a mother of three from Mbay.
“They said they would give us something, but there’s no proof. So honestly, we’re a bit upset, disappointed.”
Rescue teams were continuing to search affected areas for anyone who might still require assistance.
Search-and-rescue official Fathur Rahman said teams were conducting both ground and aerial operations.
“We conduct land and air operations from helicopters. There haven’t been any reports on missing persons, but we are still scouring the area just to be sure.”
The earthquake was relatively shallow, with its epicentre located just off the northern coast of Flores, according to geological authorities.
Although the affected communities have few high-rise buildings, the earthquake caused extensive damage to homes and public infrastructure.
BNPB spokesperson Berton said at least 914 houses had been severely damaged, while hundreds of others suffered less serious damage.
Several public buildings were also affected, including schools, healthcare facilities and government offices.
The disruption to education has raised particular concerns for children in the affected communities. Save the Children said more than 8,000 children faced “safety risks and disruptions to their education” as a result of the earthquake.
Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a vast zone of intense seismic activity extending from Japan through Southeast Asia and around the Pacific basin.
The country has experienced some of the world’s most devastating earthquakes and tsunamis.
In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a massive tsunami that killed about 220,000 people across the region, including approximately 170,000 in Indonesia.
That disaster remains one of the deadliest natural catastrophes ever recorded, underscoring the scale of the risks faced by communities living along Indonesia’s seismically active islands.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
