Thousands await aid as Indonesia earthquake death toll nears 70

Thousands of people on Indonesia's Flores island are still awaiting essential aid days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, killing at least 68 people and injuring more than 200. The quake, which hit on Saturday, also damaged hundreds of homes and left communities cut off, exacerbating the humanitarian challenge as the nation marked its 81st Independence Day on Monday.

Residents in the East Nusa Tenggara province spent the holiday mourning victims and waiting for supplies. Many were forced into temporary shelters, with thousands camping outside their damaged homes under tarpaulin tents due to the ongoing threat of aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday. Tsunami warnings were issued but later lifted, though authorities have recorded over 1,500 aftershocks.

The devastation has revived painful memories for some residents, recalling the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Flores in 1992, claiming approximately 2,500 lives. Rasyid Jafar, a clothing trader in the heavily impacted village of Reo, described his home as "just rubble now" and urgently appealed for "food, medicine and clean water."

Authorities have declared a 14-day state of emergency for the province. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that over 1,300 homes were damaged, with nearly 250 destroyed on Flores alone. Approximately 5,000 people are in temporary shelters. Indonesian military and rescue personnel are working to distribute aid, with 10 aircraft deployed to deliver 275 tons of supplies, though logistical challenges have slowed deliveries to some hard-hit areas. Two emergency field hospitals have been established.

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My house is just rubble now. We need food, medicine and clean water urgently.