At least 51 people have been killed and around 5,000 evacuated after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia, authorities said.
The earthquake hit East Nusa Tenggara province on Saturday morning, leaving 36 people seriously injured and 77 others with minor injuries, Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus said.
The quake was followed by about 341 aftershocks, making it one of Indonesia’s strongest earthquakes in recent years.
More than 3,300 people in Sikka either evacuated their homes or sought shelter at a sports arena, according to the disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
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Many residents stayed outdoors in tents or on porches after homes were damaged, fearing further tremors. Some injured people were also treated in tents outside a hospital in the port town of Maumere.
More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed to the affected areas to support rescue and relief operations.
Rescuers have gained access to parts of Maumere that were blocked by landslides. Most of those reported missing are believed to be trapped under rubble, while more than 1,300 homes have been damaged.
Twenty petrol stations were also forced to shut due to power outages, state energy company Pertamina said.
The East Nusa Tenggara government is considering declaring a state of emergency, which would allow authorities to mobilise additional resources and funding.
Indonesia lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where tectonic plates meet, making the country prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
