Indonesia Earthquake Kills 38, Rescuers Search for Survivors on Flores Island

Indonesian rescuers are searching for survivors after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores Island on Saturday, with the death toll rising to 38 people.

Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency, confirmed 13 people were injured, two seriously, and stated victims remain trapped in several damaged buildings. Two helicopters and a plane are being prepared to assist rescue operations. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen offered support from the bloc’s Copernicus Earth observation satellites. The earthquake hit around 5:58 am local time, with its epicenter 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Dozens of aftershocks followed, including one of magnitude 6.1. Authorities issued a tsunami warning, which was lifted about three hours later after monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes, though tsunami waves of less than 1 meter were recorded in some areas. About 2,000 residents evacuated their homes, including villagers in Nagekeo regency who fled to temporary shelters.

Rescuers in the port town of Maumere initially found 20 bodies, six injured, and two trapped under rubble. Sixteen bodies were recovered from a landslide in Reok village in Manggarai. East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena reported that at least five people died from collapsing rubble while sleeping. The earthquake caused severe damage to houses and other buildings, with power outages and landslides blocking roads, including the Trans-Flores highway, which complicates search and rescue efforts. Hospitals in Maumere were evacuated, and makeshift tents were set up for patient treatment. The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta confirmed no Malaysians were affected.