The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia on Saturday, becoming the deadliest quake to hit the country since 2022. As of Monday, search efforts for bodies and possible survivors were still underway, with rescuers digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings as the death toll reached at least 68 people. Hundreds more have been injured, and thousands have been displaced due to infrastructure damage.
The quake hit off the coast of Flores island at roughly 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, 42 miles (68 kilometers) northwest of the coastal town of Ende at a depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). USGS reported that roughly 2 million people were exposed to “strong” and “violent” shaking.
Hundreds of aftershocks followed. The province’s governor on Sunday issued a 14-day state of emergency. President Prabowo Subianto paid tribute to the victims of the earthquake on Monday during a ceremony for the country’s 81st Independence Day, holding a moment of silence in their memory.
Here’s what to know about the earthquake, the ongoing recovery efforts in its aftermath, and how you can help. According to USGS, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake is considered “moderate,” while a 6.3 magnitude earthquake is considered “strong.” The earthquake that hit Indonesia had a magnitude of 7.7, making it a major quake. It marks the latest of several earthquakes with magnitudes above 7 that have rattled countries this summer.
Colombia is still in the process of recovering after it was struck by a 7.4-magnitude quake last week. And in June, Venezuela was devastated by back-to-back quakes with magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.7. The quake caused widespread damage in several communities in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, an archipelago nation comprising more than 17,000 islands.
More than 4,500 homes were damaged, along with 122 health facilities, 252 schools, and 84 places of worship, according to the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency, BNPB. The Indonesian government has said that more than 1,800 military and police personnel have been deployed around the affected areas to distribute more than 100 metric tons of aid with the assistance of aircrafts and sea vessels. Thousands of people in Flores were sleeping under tarp tents into Monday morning, in need of food and medical attention.
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