The vibrant spirit of Flores Island in Indonesia dimmed significantly early Saturday after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake jolted the eastern territory, leaving widespread destruction, mass displacement and a large number of casualties.
As of early Sunday, more than 50 people were killed, while over 100 others were injured in the powerful tremor.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it struck at 5:58am local time on Saturday, with the epicentre about 68 kilometres (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende, located on the southern coast of Flores.
At least 341 aftershocks were recorded in the hours that followed the early-morning quake.
Indonesia’s National Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics, locally abbreviated as BMKG, initially issued tsunami warnings, but later lifted them.
Thousands move to shelters
At a media briefing on Sunday, the spokesperson for the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNBP), Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, said around 5,000 residents of Flores had to move to temporary shelters after the earthquake damaged their homes.
Others are scared to return to their houses due to frequent aftermaths.
The mass displacement has prompted an urgent need for emergency tents, food and water, medicines and other essentials in the island, the official said, noting that Jakarta has already mobilised relief efforts for the affected communities.
At least five helicopters, several planes, a naval vessel and search and rescue ships were on their way to help, Berton said on Sunday, as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Several humanitarian organisations, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have also announced the mobilisation of emergency relief efforts for the quake-hit island.
Meanwhile, displaced individuals in Flores hope for the immediate dissemination of assistance.
“I hope the government will soon distribute logistics to help us,” a resident named Nurhidayati told AFP early Sunday.
The 55-year-old reportedly spent the night on a mat atop a hill in Nangahale village after Saturday’s quake.
Pledged government and international support were guaranteed to arrive later in the day.
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Rubbles and Landslides
Flores residents heavily rely on the government to bring in help to the island, as several areas were left without electricity and telecommunications after the massive tremor, which had also triggered landslides that blocked emergency access roads.
At least one of them remains inaccessible as of Sunday, according to reports.
The extent of destruction across the island is unclear as of writing, but according to Berton, initial assessment showed that at least 914 houses were severely damaged and hundreds of others to a lesser degree.
Several public properties were also destroyed in Saturday’s quake, including 38 government offices, 93 educational and 36 health facilities, he said.
Dig for survivors continues
Meanwhile, rescue teams are racing to find more survivors under the rubble of flattened infrastructures, with authorities warning that “communication disruption and power outages” are heavily hampering the mission.
During Sunday’s search, rescuers found four more bodies, bringing the death toll 51, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS).
It put the total number of injured individuals at 101.
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