Death toll rises to 53 as rescue teams continue search after 7.7-magnitude quake in Indonesia

Rescue teams in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province recovered six additional bodies on Sunday, raising the confirmed death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the Flores region early Thursday to 53, authorities said. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at a depth of 10 kilometres, and more than 900 homes were destroyed with another 450 damaged, leaving about 5,000 people in temporary shelters.

The National Disaster Management Agency reported 135 injuries and 995 aftershocks, of which 46 were felt by residents. Search operations focused on the hardest-hit regencies of Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo, where landslides blocked access and the Trans-Flores Highway. > "We have cleared most landslides and reopened roads to previously isolated villages, although communication disruptions and power outages continue to hamper search efforts," said Fathur Rahman, head of the Search and Rescue Office in Maumere.

Relief workers distributed rice, ready-to-eat meals, water, blankets and medicine, while emergency shelters were set up for displaced residents. Restoring electricity and communications and delivering aid to remote villages remained major challenges.

Residents in the tourist hub of Labuan Bajo spent the night outdoors after fearing aftershocks could cause further damage. > "The shaking was intense; my house nearly collapsed," said farmer Anastasia Imad, speaking from a makeshift tent beside her damaged home.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it vulnerable to frequent seismic events. Flores has previously suffered major disasters, including a 1992 earthquake and tsunami that killed about 2,500 people and a 2018 Sulawesi quake that caused over 4,400 deaths.