A magnitude 7.7 earthquake off the coast of Flores island killed at least 53 people and injured more than 130 after striking early Saturday, marking Indonesia's deadliest tremor since a 2022 quake in West Java. The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government declared a state of emergency as more than 5,000 residents fled their homes, with over 3,300 in Sikka district alone sheltering in a sports arena or evacuating independently.
The quake damaged 914 homes severely and struck more than 100 public facilities, including 93 schools and 36 health centres. Nearly 1,000 aftershocks have been recorded since the main shock, which originated roughly 70 kilometres from Ende at a depth of about 10 kilometres. Landslides blocked a key highway traversing the island.
Authorities deployed more than 3,500 military and police personnel and mobilised aircraft to deliver humanitarian aid. A field hospital is being prepared at Golo Dukal stadium after the Manggarai regional hospital sustained damage. Power has been almost fully restored across the affected area.