Nearly 13,000 displaced after deadly quake in Indonesia

Nearly 13,000 residents remain displaced after a deadly Indonesian quake struck Flores Island on Saturday.

The powerful 7.7-magnitude tremor killed 53 people and injured over 100 across East Nusa Tenggara province. Displaced survivors are camping outdoors in makeshift tents while waiting for critical government emergency aid.

How many people were displaced by the deadly Indonesian quake?

The 7.7-magnitude Indonesian quake displaced 12,800 residents across several towns on Flores island, leaving hundreds of homes destroyed or full of dangerous cracks. Thousands of survivors are currently camping in makeshift tarpaulins, government offices, and police stations while trembling through hundreds of persistent aftershocks.

Disaster officials from Indonesia's BNPB national disaster agency reported that at least 914 homes sustained severe destruction. Dozens of public facilities, including schools, medical clinics, and municipal offices, suffered extensive structural damage. In the town of Mbay near the epicentre, families spent consecutive nights sleeping on open ground due to ongoing fears of secondary building collapses.

Residents expressed growing disappointment over delays in receiving basic humanitarian provisions like food, medical supplies, and clean drinking water. Many community members fled their damaged residences with only the clothes on their backs as tremors shook the region. Older inhabitants recalled traumatic memories of a similar 1992 earthquake that triggered a deadly tsunami across the same island.

What relief efforts are underway for the Flores earthquake survivors?

The Indonesian Air Force deployed transport planes and military helicopters to airlift 13 tons of emergency supplies to isolated communities. Military personnel are delivering medical equipment, clean water, clothing, and food provisions directly to emergency distribution hubs.

Search and rescue personnel continue scouring damaged towns and mountainous zones to ensure no trapped victims remain beneath collapsed debris.

Humanitarian organization Save the Children warned that over 8,000 children face severe safety risks and educational disruptions due to damaged school buildings. Meanwhile, regional authorities in East Nusa Tenggara declared a 14-day emergency period to accelerate disaster management operations.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic events because the archipelago sits along the active Pacific "Ring of Fire". Geological authorities confirmed the shallow earthquake struck off the northern coast of Flores at a depth of 10 kilometers. While initial tsunami warnings were quickly lifted, local emergency teams remain deployed to manage ongoing recovery tasks.