Indonesia Earthquake Kills at Least 47 as Toll Climbs
At least 47 people were killed and the toll was still rising after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck off Flores in eastern Indonesia, followed by a strong aftershock. Around 2,000 residents were evacuated as buildings collapsed in Maumere and the surrounding Sikka region and a port was badly damaged. Rescuers were searching the rubble as aftershocks continued.
The steady climb in the toll, from a handful in the first hours to dozens, follows the grim pattern of major quakes as rescuers reach collapsed homes and cut-off communities. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where powerful tremors are frequent and, across a country of far-flung islands and uneven building standards, often deadly. Damage to the port will slow the aid that survivors urgently need, and continuing aftershocks have kept frightened residents sheltering outdoors. It is the second major earthquake in a week, after Colombia, a stark reminder of the planet’s seismic power. The authorities were racing to assess damage and reach the injured. Watch for the toll to rise further as the search widens.