Flores earthquake aid delays leave thousands stranded on Indonesia's Independence Day

A powerful earthquake on Flores killed at least 55 people and cut off communities for days. The disaster exposed severe access challenges as aftershocks and landslides slowed relief.Stock photo used for illustrationThousands of people on Indonesia's Flores island were still waiting for aid on Monday, days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 55 people, injured dozens and damaged hundreds of homes and other buildings even as the country marked its 81st Independence Day.Many residents in East Nusa Tenggara province spent the day mourning the dead and waiting for help to reach communities that remained cut off. During the Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto asked participants to pray for people affected by disasters in East Nusa Tenggara and other parts of the country, while leading a nationwide moment of silence for Indonesia's independence heroes.According to the National Disaster Management Agency, more than 1,300 homes were damaged when the quake struck the province on Saturday, with nearly 250 of them destroyed on Flores alone. Around 5,000 people were moved to temporary shelters and more than 130 were injured. The province's governor declared a 14-day state of emergency on Sunday.The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres shortly before 6 am on Saturday. Residents ran out in panic as tsunami warnings were issued and later lifted. Authorities have since recorded at least 995 aftershocks, though only 46 were felt by residents. Thousands of people on Flores spent Sunday night into Monday under tarpaulin tents outside their collapsed homes because they feared more tremors. An Associated Press photojournalist saw heavy damage across the island, with fallen trees blocking roads, giant boulders pushed down slopes by landslides, and homes shattered or badly damaged. Some buildings had collapsed onto parked cars. For many residents, the disaster brought back memories of the 1992 earthquake and tsunami on Flores that killed about 2,500 people."My house is just rubble now," said Rasyid Jafar, a clothing trader in the village of Reo, the worst-hit area in Manggarai regency. "We need food, medicine and clean water urgently." More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed across the disaster zone and 275 tonnes of aid have been sent, though deliveries to some of the worst-hit communities have been slowed by logistical problems. Authorities said aid workers reached the small island of Palue, one of the areas closest to the epicentre, late on Sunday after a difficult journey by sea and land through terrain hit by landslides. Thousands of residents there remained in urgent need of assistance after days of isolation."The roads are steep and many were blocked by landslides. It was a near-death journey," said Marselus Yugo Amboro, deputy police chief of Sikka regency, whose team was among the first to reach the island with emergency supplies. He said initial assessments showed widespread damage, with one villager killed, two seriously injured and nearly 150 homes destroyed.Indonesia, a vast archipelago, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The latest quake on Flores has left dozens dead, thousands displaced and many communities still waiting for relief as aftershocks continue.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 17, 2026 14:54 IST