Indonesia Earthquake Kills at Least 47 Off Flores
The death toll from the magnitude-7.7 earthquake off eastern Indonesia climbed to at least 47 through the day, according to officials, as rescuers searched collapsed buildings. The quake, followed by a strong aftershock, toppled structures in Maumere and across the Sikka region and badly damaged a port. A tsunami warning issued after the tremor was later lifted.
The sharp rise in the toll, from a handful in the first hours to dozens by evening, is a grim pattern in major quakes, as rescuers reach collapsed homes and cut-off communities and the true scale becomes clear. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where powerful tremors are frequent and, in a country of far-flung islands and uneven building standards, often deadly. Damage to the port will hamper the flow of aid to affected areas just as it is most needed, and aftershocks are keeping frightened residents outdoors. The authorities were racing to assess the damage and reach the injured before nightfall. It is the second major earthquake this week, after Colombia. Watch for the toll to climb further as the search widens.