Indonesian rescuers search for survivors after earthquake

Indonesian rescue teams are searching for survivors after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country's eastern region, damaging dozens of homes and buildings. The national disaster agency reported 13 people were injured, two of them severely, with victims trapped in collapsed structures. Authorities are deploying two helicopters and a plane to aid in the search and rescue operations.

Residents described terrifying experiences during the tremor. Yulian Juita Ekalia, a university lecturer in Ruteng, located over 100 km west of the epicenter, recounted waking to violent shaking. "It felt like we were on a trampoline; it was very scary," she said, describing how objects fell inside her home. Many residents rushed outside, seeking safety as the ground continued to move.

Near the epicenter in Nagekeo district, residents moved to higher ground after the sea receded, a potential sign of an approaching tsunami. Although a tsunami warning was later canceled, officials urged people to avoid damaged buildings due to the risk of aftershocks. Hundreds remained outdoors, and the island experienced dozens of aftershocks, some reaching 6.1 magnitude.

Despite the damage, some expressed gratitude that the earthquake occurred on a Saturday morning when fewer people were in buildings like the heavily damaged university where Yulian Juita Ekalia teaches. "It's hard to imagine what would have happened if it had happened when we were all there," she noted.