Thousands of residents remain displaced across the Indonesian island of Flores following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 70 people and injured nearly 1,200 others. The disaster, which struck early Saturday at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, has left thousands of children struggling with severe fear and trauma.
Widespread Destruction Across Flores After Shallow Quake
The earthquake struck off Flores, a remote island in East Nusa Tenggara province, just before 6 a.m. Apnews. The tremor occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, sending residents fleeing in panic as initial tsunami warnings were issued before being subsequently lifted.
According to the National Disaster Management Agency, the disaster damaged at least 11,925 homes across the region. Local disaster agencies reported that the destruction extended to public infrastructure, damaging 172 health facilities, 658 schools, 187 offices, and 172 places of worship. In the lush hills of the East Manggarai regency, the village of Lamba Leda suffered extensive damage, with at least 50 homes shattered and trees toppled.
By Monday morning, the number of people unable to return to their homes rose to 12,800, dispersed among several towns on Flores island, according to Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, spokesman for Indonesia’s BNPB national disaster agency. Broader agency estimates place the sheltering population at over 40,000 individuals living in tents, evacuation centers, and makeshift camps.
Survivors Camp Out as Thousands of Aftershocks Rumble
Residents have prepared to sleep outside for multiple nights, too terrified to re-enter damaged buildings as geological authorities record relentless seismic activity. The BMKG geological agency reported that over 1,600 aftershocks rumbled through the area while other tracking tallies registered more than 2,100 aftershocks into Tuesday, with 70 actually felt by residents.
In the small town of Mbay, located in Nagekeo regency near the epicentre, residents erected makeshift tents using tarpaulins and poles. Junaidin, a 32-year-old Mbay resident, described the living conditions outside a self-made shelter shared by about 30 people.
He added that residents only return briefly to retrieve water, clothes, and pillows before spending the nights outdoors. Many inhabitants carry painful memories of a previous 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the island in 1992, triggering a tsunami that killed about 2,500 people.
Relief Efforts and Frustrations Over Distribution Delays
As the nation celebrated Independence Day with ceremonies in Jakarta, some survivors expressed deep frustration over perceived delays in government assistance.
Another Mbay resident, 31-year-old mother of three Siti Saudah Daso, echoed those frustrations, stating, We fled with nothing. Just the clothes on our backs. We’re victims; we’re going through a disaster,
and adding that promises of provisions had yielded no tangible proof leaving residents upset and disappointed.
In response, the Indonesian Air Force deployed 13 tonnes of emergency aid using two Hercules planes and a Boeing. Kupang’s El Tari Air Base commander confirmed that helicopters were deployed to carry emergency supplies directly to isolated communities, including food, clothes, clean water and emergency medical equipment
distributed by military personnel standardmedia.co.ke. Search and rescue official Fathur Rahman noted that rescue teams continue combing the stricken region, stating, We conduct land and air operations from helicopters. There haven’t been any reports on missing persons, but we are still scouring the area just to be sure.
Trauma Healing and Psychological Support for Children
Beyond physical shelter, the disaster’s emotional toll has hit children particularly hard. The NGO Save the Children reported that more than 8,000 children face safety risks and disruptions to their education
across the impacted region.
At crowded evacuation camps on Tuesday, aid workers and volunteers paired medical assistance with psychosocial support programs. Children participated in group games, educational activities, and book readings designed to process anxiety.
Ende regency police chief Yudhi Franata, who organized trauma-healing sessions for displaced children, noted that the psychological impact has lingered long after the shaking stopped,
with parents reporting that youngsters remain terrified to return indoors and wake up crying during aftershocks.
Geographic Vulnerability Along the Pacific Ring of Fire
The disaster highlights Indonesia’s persistent exposure to tectonic volatility. The archipelago spans more than 17,000 islands and sits directly on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia.
While Flores experienced the devastating 1992 earthquake and tsunami, Indonesia also endured the catastrophic 2004 Sumatra-triggered tsunami that killed roughly 220,000 people across the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia. As aid operations continue across Flores, authorities and relief organizations must address both physical rebuilding and the persistent psychological scars carried by the island’s youngest survivors.
