Powerful earthquake in Indonesia kills dozens

The National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia, or BNPB, said Saturday that at least 47 people were dead following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck off the country’s coast on Saturday morning. The earthquake, whose epicenter the U.S. Geological Survey placed just north of the island of Flores, flattened buildings, according to videos circulating online, and produced small tsunamis. Indonesian officials expected the death toll to rise because the earthquake had disrupted communications and made it difficult to assess the casualty toll from remote areas. More than 200 aftershocks also occurred in the hours after the initial quake.

Fathur Rahman, a search and rescue official from Maumere, the capital of Flores' Sikka Regency, said landslides triggered by the earthquake had cut off or buried some remote villages, according to the Associated Press. Lack of heavy equipment was also making rescue efforts more difficult.

The head of BNPB, Suharyanto, who follows an Indonesian practice of using only one name, said the quake destroyed at least 157 houses, along with 100 public facilities, including schools, churches, and medical centers, the AP reported.

BNPB said rescue efforts were ongoing and it had sent 275 tons of aid to the affected areas.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Muncy’s report about a 2022 earthquake in the Indonesia island of Java that killed hundreds of people.