Indonesia earthquake: Land route to Reo opens as death toll reaches 48

Rescue operations continue in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, following a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The death toll has climbed to 48, with 64 people sustaining injuries. A critical development is the reopening of the land route to Reo, which had been blocked by a landslide. This allows rescue teams to expand their search and assistance efforts into more affected areas.

The joint SAR team is focusing its efforts on the Mbay and Reo areas. The opening of the Reo access route was confirmed by the head of the Maumere SAR office, Fathur Rahman. "The rescue team from the West Manggarai SAR Post, who were on duty in the East Manggarai area as of 06:00 WITA, have successfully accessed the land route in the Reo area which was previously affected by a landslide. With the opening of this access, the search can be expanded to reach areas that need help," Fathur stated.

Initial verified data indicates 112 people were affected, including the 48 fatalities and 64 injured. Authorities are urging the public to remain calm, stay alert for aftershocks, follow instructions from officials, and rely on official information sources. The earthquake, which struck on Saturday, also caused widespread destruction, with 157 houses severely damaged, 41 moderately damaged, and 148 lightly damaged. Additionally, 87 public facilities, including health centers and places of worship, were damaged.