Indonesia Quake Death Toll Rises to 68

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia's Flores Island early Saturday morning, killing at least 68 people, according to updated reports. The quake, which hit around 5:58 a.m. local time, had its epicenter about 42 miles north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.

The powerful tremor caused widespread destruction, flattening more than 900 houses and damaging nearly 450 others. It also destroyed over 167 public facilities, including schools, medical centers, and churches. Rescue efforts are ongoing as authorities warn the death toll may rise due to landslides triggered by the quake that have buried or cut off many remote villages across six regencies on Flores Island.

Tsunami waves of less than a meter were recorded in several areas, but no significant sea-level changes posing a threat to coastal communities were observed. The National Disaster Management Agency deployed helicopters and rescue vessels to support emergency response operations due to the region's challenging geography.

East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Rudi Darmoko reported that power outages and communication disruptions have hampered search and rescue efforts. Landslides in Ende regency also blocked the Trans-Flores highway, complicating access to affected areas. The quake was followed by at least 235 aftershocks, with the largest recorded at magnitude 6.2.

Rescue teams recovered six more bodies Sunday, raising the death toll to 53. More than 900 homes were destroyed and 450 more damaged in East Nusa Tenggara province, forcing about 5,000 people into temporary shelters. At least 241 homes were damaged in the Flores region alone.

The agency said communication disruptions and power outages continue to hamper search efforts as rescuers focus on three regencies that remained inaccessible: hardest-hit Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the 'Ring of Fire,' an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. This region has experienced devastating quakes in the past, including a 1992 earthquake that caused a tsunami killing about 2,500 people on Flores Island.

The province's governor declared a 14-day state of emergency on Sunday. More than 4,500 homes were damaged, and approximately 19,000 people were forced into temporary shelters. Additionally, 213 people were injured, according to the National Disaster Management Agency or BNPB. The disaster also damaged 122 health facilities, 252 schools, and 84 places of worship.

Thousands of people on Flores camped outside collapsed homes under tarpaulin tents overnight into Monday, sleeping outside because of the danger of more aftershocks. Authorities have since recorded 1,576 aftershocks into Monday, though only 54 were felt by residents.

The government said more than 1,800 military and police personnel have been deployed across the disaster zone, supported by 10 aircraft and several vessels, to distribute more than 110 metric tons of emergency aid. Nearly 5,400 food packages, two field hospital tents, medicines, and clothing were being delivered to communities across the disaster zone.

Aid workers reached tiny Palue Island, one of the areas closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, late Sunday after a difficult sea and land journey through landslide-hit terrain. Thousands of residents remained in urgent need of assistance. The roads were steep and many were blocked by landslides, making it a near-death journey for rescue teams.

Initial assessments revealed extensive damage on Palue Island, with one villager killed, two seriously injured, and nearly 150 homes destroyed. Authorities set up two emergency field hospitals in the worst-hit town of Ruteng to treat earthquake victims after local hospitals were damaged.