Toll Surges to 47 in Eastern Quake Disaster as 235 Aftershocks Batter Supply Chains

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The death toll from the massive magnitude 7.7 undersea earthquake that battered the island of Flores climbed to 47 on Saturday evening, with hundreds of homes destroyed, critical roadways severed by landslides, and 235 aftershocks rocking the archipelago.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) confirmed the jump in casualties following intensified search-and-rescue operations across northern Flores, where Manggarai Regency logged 24 deaths, East Manggarai 17, Sikka three, and Ngada and Ende one fatality each.

The escalating disaster has paralyzed key transportation corridors and severed vital regional logistics across East Nusa Tenggara, a key corridor for domestic agriculture, fisheries, and high-value tourism around Labuan Bajo. Emerging-market investors and credit rating agencies are watching the speed of infrastructure restoration, emergency fiscal outlays, and potential disruption to maritime trade links connecting the central and eastern archipelagos.

Extensive Structural Devastation Across Flores

Field surveys updated on Saturday evening revealed that 157 homes were completely leveled or heavily damaged, 41 suffered moderate damage, and 148 sustained minor cracks. Public infrastructure absorbed significant destruction, including 87 education facilities, 18 healthcare clinics, five places of worship, and six municipal government complexes.

Landslides triggered by the violent ground acceleration—which reached Intensity Scale VII MMI in Aesesa, Riung, and Manggarai—blocked major thoroughfares, prompting the Ministry of Public Works to deploy heavy earthmoving equipment to reopen land routes.

"There are several individuals suspected of still requiring immediate rescue who remain trapped under collapsed structures, which serves as the primary initial objective for our emergency teams," said BNPB Head Lt. Gen. Suharyanto during a virtual press briefing on Saturday.

Flores Fault Line Sparks Hundreds of Tremors

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed that the shallow 9.3-mile (15-kilometer) temblor was caused by activity along the Flores Back Arc Thrust, the same hazardous geological structure behind the devastating 1992 Flores earthquake.

BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fathani reported that seismologists tracked 235 aftershocks ranging between magnitude 2.5 and 6.2 by Saturday afternoon, with monitoring charts showing no immediate decay in seismic activity.

"BMKG estimates that the natural decay process will require between two to three weeks, mirroring historical patterns of damaging quakes in North Maluku," Fathani stated during an emergency coordination meeting at the BMKG headquarters in Jakarta on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the agency’s rapid automated warning system triggered a Level 2 tsunami alert within two minutes and 16 seconds of the main shock, detecting peak sea surges of 5.28 feet (1.61 meters) in Reo Manggarai before wave levels receded safely.

Cabinet Ministers and State Enterprises Mobilize Aid

The central government mobilized a comprehensive emergency response, deploying an inter-ministerial delegation directly to Labuan Bajo and Maumere to oversee field operations and distribute 50,000 presidential emergency food packages totaling 275 tons via Indonesian Air Force transport aircraft from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya confirmed that specialized crisis teams from state electricity monopoly PLN, telecommunications giant Telkom Indonesia, state oil firm Pertamina, and state logistics agency Bulog have deployed to restore power grids, fuel supplies, and emergency satellite internet connectivity via Starlink.

"The government continues to move rapidly to handle our fellow citizens in East Nusa Tenggara," Wijaya said in an official briefing on Saturday evening, confirming the deployment of top officials including Coordinating Minister for Human Development Pratikno and Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian.