Indonesia declares 14-day emergency after 7.7 quake kills 47

Emergency decree activated

Indonesia's government on Sunday declared a 14-day emergency response status for East Nusa Tenggara province after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Flores Island, killing at least 47 people and damaging hundreds of buildings, according to state media reports. The emergency period will remain in effect until Aug. 28, the provincial government announced in an official decree reported by Antara news agency, with the measure designed to streamline disaster response protocols and expedite relief distribution across the affected regions.

Widespread destruction reported

Search and rescue operations continued through Sunday as teams scoured collapsed structures for survivors, with provincial authorities confirming that nearly 6,000 residents had fled to temporary shelters in Sikka, Manggarai, Nagekeo, Bima, and Selayar districts. The tremor left 914 houses destroyed alongside damage to 93 educational facilities, 36 health centers, and 38 government offices — complicating aid delivery in the remote archipelago, officials said.

Relief supplies dispatched

State-owned energy company Pertamina reported that 32 gas stations across Flores Island had resumed operations by Sunday, though 20 facilities remained shuttered due to structural damage and several distribution outlets stayed closed pending safety inspections. The national government has dispatched 27 tons of emergency supplies to the disaster zone, while President Prabowo Subianto instructed relevant officials to conduct direct on-site assessments and encouraged cross-sectoral cooperation to ensure rapid, targeted assistance reaches isolated communities.