Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia struck by a powerful earthquake that has killed at least 68 people are waiting for aid as rescuers search through collapsed buildings for those believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Late on Monday, the death toll was revised from 54 to 68, said Berton SP Panjaitan, an official at Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), adding that more than 200 people have been injured.
Thousands were evacuated following the country’s deadliest disaster since a 2022 earthquake killed hundreds in West Java. Many are sheltering outdoors in tents and are afraid to return home due to the risk of aftershocks.
The quake has cast a grim shadow over Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations, and residents of East Nusa Tenggara province have been jolted by nearly 1,600 aftershocks in the province as of Monday, Panjaitan said.
The country’s geophysics agency reported a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in the region on Monday morning.
The quake also triggered landslides and blocked roads across Indonesia’s southernmost province, including the districts of Sikka and Manggarai.
Authorities have readied aircraft to deliver aid including food and tents, Panjaitan said. BNPB has previously reported that around 500 homes were damaged.
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