Death toll rises to 47 in Indonesian earthquake

At least 47 people have died in an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia in the eastern Flores region.

The United States Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit early Saturday morning. The quake's center was in waters north of Flores Island, about 1,000 miles east of Jakarta, the capital.

The epicenter was 42 miles north-northwest of Ende, a city in East Nusa Tenggara province. Even though the epicenter was offshore, the earthquake caused damage in nearby communities on Flores Island, which is part of the province.

A dozen strong aftershocks followed the quake and made things worse for the residents.

Background on Indonesia's Earthquake Risk

Indonesia has about 17,500 islands and is known for earthquakes and volcanoes. It is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” This area has a lot of tectonic activity because the Australian and Sunda tectonic plates meet here.

Since 1950, the country has experienced around 37 earthquakes that were magnitude 6 or higher. One major quake in 1992 reached 7.8 and caused a tsunami that killed at least 2,500 people.

Hundreds of buildings in the affected area have been damaged by this latest quake and the many aftershocks that followed.

The national disaster management agency, BNPB, said the death toll went from 38 to 40 and then to 47. This number might increase as rescue workers search through the rubble.

Casualties and Damage

More than 50 people were injured, and many others are still trapped in buildings. The USGS reported that about 1.5 million people felt strong to severe shaking from the earthquake.

At least 16 bodies were found from a landslide in one of the affected villages. The BNPB also reported that almost 160 houses, along with many educational and health facilities, were damaged.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced that plans are in place to provide aid to around 2,000 people in temporary shelters.

The Indonesian government has sent 50,000 aid packages, weighing a total of 275 tonnes, to help the area.

Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen, the chief of the European Union, said the bloc is using Copernicus Earth observation satellites to help operations in Indonesia. She wrote on X, "Our satellite system Copernicus is already supporting mapping operations."