Indonesia earthquake survivors await aid as search continues for trapped residents

Ende, Indonesia. Residents in earthquake-hit villages in eastern Indonesia awaited aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to search collapsed buildings for people trapped beneath the rubble after a quake that killed at least 54 people.

Thousands of people have been evacuated in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia’s southernmost province, with many sheltering in tents outdoors and fearing further aftershocks.

Aftershocks and damage

The earthquake was Indonesia’s deadliest disaster since a 2022 quake in West Java that killed hundreds. It has also overshadowed the country’s Independence Day celebrations.

Residents of East Nusa Tenggara had experienced nearly 1,600 aftershocks by Monday, according to local media citing the head of the geophysics agency. The agency reported a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in the region on Monday morning.

The quake triggered landslides and blocked roads in areas including Sikka and Manggarai. The disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, said the official death toll stood at 54 on Monday.

Displaced residents seek assistance

At the parking area of a damaged health centre near the quake-affected Ende region, tents and hospital beds had been set up for residents.

Firmus Woge, a 64-year-old farmer, was receiving treatment for asthma aggravated by panic during the quake. He said he had difficulty breathing overnight and that his condition worsened after Monday morning’s tremor.

In nearby tents, Emilianus Oro, a 56-year-old farmer from Ranukolo village, said about 70 residents, mostly women, lacked clean water. He said children had developed diarrhoea, one older resident had suffered a stroke, and the community had not received aid.

Veronika Nggambi, 22, was caring for her baby with her mother in the back of a pickup truck after their house became uninhabitable. She said the family needed assistance as soon as possible.

Authorities said the search operation would continue on Monday.