Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 54
The death toll from a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Flores Island has risen to 54, with thousands of people still displaced across eastern Indonesia. Rescuers are battling landslides, aftershocks, and shortages to reach survivors, as local media reported over 130 people injured and approximately 7,000 residents forced from their homes into temporary shelters.
Aftershocks remain a major concern, with 1,598 recorded in Nusa Tenggara Timur following Saturday’s earthquake. Authorities continue to monitor the sequence, and another magnitude 5.7 earthquake was reported offshore Flores on Monday, with no tsunami warning issued. The central government has sent 25 tonnes of supplies, including ready-to-eat food, drinking water, and medical teams, to support the affected communities.
The destruction has created urgent shortages of food, clean water, medicines, and other basic supplies in some of the hardest-hit communities. Indonesia has dispatched about 275 tons of aid, while emergency authorities work to establish additional medical facilities, including field hospitals. Roads to some previously cut-off villages have been reopened, but several areas remain difficult to reach.
This disaster has unfolded as Indonesia marked its 81st Independence Day on Monday, overshadowing celebrations in Jakarta and leaving communities on Flores focused on survival and recovery. The popular Flores tourism destination, Wae Rebo, has temporarily suspended visits due to vulnerable trekking routes.
As of Monday afternoon, the emergency response on Flores has shifted from the immediate rescue phase towards relief, recovery, and continued monitoring of aftershocks. University Nusa Nipa and the NTT police are providing trauma-recovery assistance to children and other displaced residents.
The earthquake damaged over 1,300 homes across East Nusa Tenggara, with nearly 250 destroyed on Flores alone, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Schools, hospitals, health centers, and government buildings were also damaged, leaving some medical services operating under emergency conditions.
