Earthquake Kills 38 People in Indonesia

The earthquake hit near Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara at a relatively shallow depth, causing serious damage in several communities. Maumere was among the areas most affected, with buildings damaged or destroyed and landslides blocking some roads.

Rescue teams have been working to reach affected communities and search damaged buildings for people who may still be trapped. Thirteen people have also been reported injured, including two with serious injuries.

The disaster forced around 2,000 residents to leave their homes and move to safer areas. Many others have remained outside their houses because of concerns over further shaking and the condition of damaged buildings.

Several aftershocks were recorded following the main earthquake, including one measuring 6.1 in magnitude. The continued tremors have increased fear among residents and made rescue efforts more difficult.

Since the earthquake occurred offshore, authorities initially issued a tsunami warning and told people living along the coast to move to higher ground. The warning was later lifted after monitoring showed that there was no major tsunami threat. Some areas, however, recorded waves of less than one metre.

The earthquake also affected electricity and communication services in some locations. At a hospital in Ende, patients were moved outside as a precaution while the safety of the building was assessed.

Emergency teams are continuing to search for survivors, treat those who were injured and assess the damage. Authorities are also working to reach areas where landslides and damaged roads have made access difficult.

Indonesia regularly experiences earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where several tectonic plates meet and where seismic activity is common.

Flores has experienced major earthquakes before. In 1992, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the region and triggered a tsunami that killed more than 2,000 people.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation as rescue and recovery operations remain underway.