Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to 51

Indonesian authorities announced on Sunday that at least 51 people had been killed and around 5,000 others evacuated, following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Flores Island in eastern Indonesia.

Deputy Health Minister Njamien Paulus Oktavianus said the earthquake, which occurred in the East Nusa Tenggara province, left 36 people with serious injuries and 77 others with minor injuries.

In this context, Sikka Regent Simon Subandi said most residents of the area did not dare to stay inside their homes and were forced to spend the night on balconies or in tents set up outdoors, fearing aftershocks.

For his part, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said in a statement that more than 3,500 military and police personnel had been deployed to the area to assist in relief efforts and disaster response.

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The Disaster Mitigation Agency noted that most of the missing were trapped under rubble, adding that more than 1,300 homes were damaged and 20 gas stations stopped operating due to power outages.

Indonesia and its neighboring countries lie within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active zone stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and the Pacific basin, which makes the Indonesian archipelago repeatedly vulnerable to earthquakes and tremors.

Earlier, in early July last year, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia without causing casualties or major damage.