Rescue teams are searching for survivors in the aftermath of a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Indonesia's Flores Island on Saturday, killing at least 47 people. The quake, which occurred shortly before 05:00 local time with a depth of 15 kilometers, has caused severe damage to hundreds of buildings and triggered numerous aftershocks.
Preliminary reports indicate significant casualties across several provinces. Manggarai province is among the hardest hit, with 24 fatalities recorded. East Manggarai province reported 17 deaths, Sikka province had three, and Ngada, Ende, and West Manggarai provinces each recorded at least one fatality. In addition to the deaths, at least two people sustained serious injuries and 11 were slightly injured.
The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed due to the remote and mountainous terrain of the affected region. Tremors from the initial earthquake were felt as far west as Bima Regency and City, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).
A second earthquake, measuring magnitude 6.9, occurred at the opposite end of Indonesia, highlighting the region's seismic activity, often referred to as the "Ring of Fire."
Aid is being dispatched to the affected areas, with 10,500 packages of supplies already reaching base operations, the BNPB stated. A rapid assessment of the earthquake's impact is currently underway.