Indonesia Hit by 5.7-Magnitude Earthquake Days After Devastating 7.7 Quake

An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck north-northwest of Ende in Indonesia on Monday morning, days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude quake hit the country. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the latest tremor occurred at a depth of 35 km. There were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia days earlier, along with multiple aftershocks, claimed more than 35 lives. Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia recovered six more bodies on Sunday, taking the death toll from Saturday’s magnitude 7.7 earthquake to 53, authorities said. Thousands of displaced residents spent the night outdoors, fearing further aftershocks. Rescuers continued searching through debris and landslides triggered by the powerful quake across six regencies on Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in the Muslim-majority country. Search operations were focused on three areas that remained difficult to access, Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo, with Manggarai among the worst hit. “We have cleared most landslides and reopened roads to previously isolated villages, although communication disruptions and power outages continue to hamper search efforts,” said Fathur Rahman, head of the search-and-rescue office in Maumere, the capital of Sikka regency. More than 900 homes were destroyed and another 450 damaged in East Nusa Tenggara province, forcing around 5,000 people into temporary shelters. At least 241 homes were damaged in the Flores region alone, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Management Agency’s chief for disaster prevention. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) shortly before 6am on Saturday, according to the US Geological Survey. Residents fled their homes in panic after tsunami warnings were issued following the quake. The warnings were later lifted.