Thousands of people remained displaced on Indonesia’s Flores island on Tuesday, three days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 68 people and injured more than 200, leaving many children struggling with fear and trauma.
More than 19,000 people were sheltering in tents, evacuation centers and makeshift camps following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off Flores early Saturday. The disaster damaged at least 4,500 homes, 122 health facilities, 252 schools and 84 places of worship, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tsunami warnings were issued but later lifted, and authorities have since recorded more than 2,100 aftershocks, though only 70 have been felt by residents.
Lingering Fear
An aftershock that struck Tuesday prompted Vincentius Rano, a resident of Lamba Leda, one of the hardest-hit villages, to instinctively duck and cover his head alongside his wife. Their daughter began crying nearby, a reminder of the fear that continues to affect survivors.
Rano recalled the terrifying moment the earthquake struck Saturday just after he and his wife had woken up. "Suddenly, we felt a tremor that kept getting stronger," he said. The couple rushed to grab their sleeping daughter, but before they could escape, part of their timber home collapsed, injuring Rano’s back and shoulder.
"We didn’t have time to get outside. Everything happened so fast. The roof collapsed on us, and all I could do was shield my wife and child with my back," Rano said, gesturing toward his flattened home.
At evacuation camps across Flores, aid workers and volunteers provided psychosocial support alongside food and medical assistance. "For many survivors, especially children, the psychological impact has lingered long after the shaking stopped," said local police chief Yudhi Franata. He has organized trauma-healing sessions for children displaced by the disaster in Ende regency.
In Ende's village of Lokoboko, 17 children joined police counselors for games, educational activities and group interactions designed to help them cope with fear and anxiety. Parents reported that many children were afraid to return indoors and woke up frightened whenever aftershocks rattled the island.
"Children are among the groups that need special attention after experiencing a disaster," Franata said.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Flores experienced one of the country’s deadliest disasters in 1992, when an earthquake and an ensuing tsunami killed about 2,500 people.