Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to 53, thousands displaced

Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia recovered six more bodies on Sunday after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, raising the death toll to 53, authorities said. The quake struck Flores island early on Saturday at a depth of 10 km, the US Geological Survey reported. More than 900 homes were destroyed and about 5,000 people forced into temporary shelters in East Nusa Tenggara province, said the National Disaster Management Agency.

The number of displaced people rose to 12,800 by Monday morning, according to BNPB spokesman Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, as many residents spent a second night outdoors fearing aftershocks. Rescuers focused on three inaccessible regencies, Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo, where landslides blocked the Trans-Flores Highway. Relief workers distributed food, water, blankets and medicine, but some residents complained of delays in government aid.

Farmer Anastasia Imad told the press that the shaking was terrifying and her house nearly collapsed. Resident Junaidin said, as quoted by AFP, that no tents, medicine or food from the government had reached his area. Authorities have recorded at least 995 aftershocks, with 135 people injured. Restoring electricity and communications remains challenging, officials said. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.