Overview
- A shallow magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck off Flores on Saturday, producing a long sequence of aftershocks that officials say have made rescue work dangerous and unpredictable.
- The official death toll has risen to at least 68, with more than 1,100 people reported injured and over 40,000 people now displaced from damaged or destroyed homes.
- Authorities have recorded more than 2,100 aftershocks, including dozens above magnitude 5, and the government declared a 14-day state of emergency to speed response operations.
- The military, police and disaster agencies have deployed thousands of personnel, set up field hospitals and moved hundreds of tonnes of aid, but landslides, blocked roads and damaged ports continue to delay deliveries to many islands and villages.
- Flores sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so frequent quakes complicate recovery and mean relief teams must plan for ongoing tremors, damaged health facilities and longer-term needs for shelter, clean water and trauma care.