Rescuers search for survivors after strong earthquake in Indonesia

Rescue teams are urgently searching for survivors on Indonesia's Flores Island following a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck early Saturday morning. The tremor, centered 15 kilometers deep, has claimed at least 51 lives, according to Al Jazeera, and caused widespread destruction.

The Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that 341 aftershocks followed the main quake. Over 900 homes and hundreds of other structures suffered severe damage. The Manggarai area is the most affected, with 24 confirmed deaths, while East Manggarai recorded 17 fatalities. Other provinces also reported deaths and injuries.

More than five thousand residents are currently housed in evacuation centers, and 10,500 aid packages have been dispatched to the affected areas. Authorities caution that damage assessment will take time due to the remote and mountainous terrain. Initial reports indicate that schools, health facilities, religious buildings, and offices have also been damaged, in addition to residential homes.

Some victims were killed when buildings collapsed on them as they slept, according to the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena. Residents described being woken by the shaking and rushing to check on their children. Many fled to higher ground as the sea receded following the quake. An initial tsunami warning was issued, prompting about two thousand people to evacuate, but it was later canceled after no significant sea level rise was detected.

Landslides have blocked access to some villages, complicating rescue efforts. Temporary medical tents have been set up near hospitals. The BNPB urges residents to avoid coastal areas and damaged buildings. Indonesia, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity.

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Some victims died in their sleep when buildings collapsed on them.