Jakarta: Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations have been interrupted by a powerful earthquake that has killed at least 68 people and displaced thousands from their homes.
7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Eastern Indonesia
The quake struck off the coast of Flores island on Saturday at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.
Local authorities say the disaster has injured more than 100 residents and there are no reports of missing persons. The main quake was followed by almost 1,600 aftershocks, including a 5.6-magnitude one Monday morning.
A tsunami warning was issued for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi, urging residents to evacuate from coastal areas and river banks, but it was later lifted.
Thousands injured and homeless
The tremor destroyed some 500 houses and landslides blocked roads, isolating 12,800 Flores residents from their homes.
Authorities say many locals are living in makeshift tents, their homes collapsing or badly damaged.
Evacuees have complained about the lack of medical services and about the lack of provision in the camps. Residents also reported that children had suffered diarrhea and an elderly woman had a stroke.
Survivors of the disaster clamored for emergency relief, especially food and other essentials.
Medical and emergency assistance offered to affected area
Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency or BNPB said the Indonesian air force was to fly in some 13 tons of emergency supplies to the affected area.
The government is also expected to provide more emergency medical aid. Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus said the military was ready to set up an emergency field hospital in the region.
Medical teams of neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons are also needed to reach the spot to help the locals who have suffered severe health conditions such as head trauma and broken bones.
Officials are still assessing the situation and providing much-needed assistance to those who have been left without a home or means of survival.
Earthquake mars Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations
The tragedy occurred just days before Indonesia’s Independence Day, which is celebrated annually on August 17. The earthquake has killed the most people since another major quake hit West Java in 2022.
President Prabowo Subianto celebrated Indonesia’s Independence Day in Jakarta, some 1500 kilometers west of the capital of the disaster-hit region.
But for the locals, the tragedy that was unfolding cast a pall over the holiday preparations. The residents of the said area were tasked to provide shelter, food, water and to protect their families.
Indonesia’s Geographical Position Makes It Vulnerable to Disasters
Indonesia is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which makes it highly prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. The country has suffered from a number of great calamities in recent years, including powerful earthquakes and tsunamis.
For example, in 1992 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Flores, producing a devastating tsunami that claimed nearly 2500 lives. In 2004 an undersea earthquake measuring 9.1 magnitude off the coast of Sumatra triggered a catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 170000 people in Indonesia and more than 220000 in total.
Other disastrous catastrophes include the 2018 Lombok and Sumbawa earthquake and the magnitude 7.5 Palu earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi that same year. The latest tragedy joins a long list of disastrous events that add to Indonesia’s seismic problems, requiring rapid and emergency response and disaster management.
