by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JAKARTA/MEDAN (Worthy News) – Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia recovered six more bodies Sunday following a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake, raising the death toll to at least 53 as Christians prayed for victims and rescuers struggled to reach isolated communities.
Authorities said 135 people were injured and about 5,000 displaced after Saturday’s earthquake devastated parts of Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in Muslim-majority Indonesia.
Rescuers dug through debris and landslides across six regencies, focusing on some of the hardest-hit areas, including Manggarai, East Manggarai and Nagekeo, where damaged roads and communications complicated access.
“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 across East Nusa Tenggara province, while emergency workers continued searching for people who may have been buried beneath collapsed buildings or landslides.
CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR VICTIMS
The disaster was being closely watched by Indonesia’s Christian community, particularly on Flores, where Catholic leaders urged prayer and solidarity with victims.
Church leaders and believers prayed for the injured, those who lost loved ones and families whose homes and livelihoods were damaged, while some religious celebrations were moved outdoors because buildings were considered unsafe.
The Diocese of Labuan Bajo canceled remaining celebrations of its Golo Koe Maria Assumpta Nusantara Festival following the earthquake, including its closing Mass, as church leaders turned their attention toward those suffering.
Catholic charity Caritas Indonesia mobilized dioceses, parishes and volunteers to assist earthquake-stricken communities across Flores. The organization said its response involved four affected dioceses and included humanitarian posts and relief assistance.
The church response followed concerns expressed by Christians elsewhere in Indonesia immediately after Saturday’s earthquake.
CHRISTIANS SEEK CONTACT
“I realized in the mall that there was a quake,” a Christian house church leader in the North Sumatran city of Medan told Worthy News.
The woman, identified by Worthy News as Victoria, said she had been trying to reach Christians on Flores, including a pastor. “However, communications have been difficult due to the quake,” she said.
Her concerns came as another powerful earthquake struck North Sumatra province Saturday. Shaking was felt in Medan and surrounding areas, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.
On Flores, meanwhile, many survivors remained fearful after authorities recorded nearly 1,000 aftershocks. Officials said 995 had been detected, although only 46 were felt by residents.
Thousands spent Saturday night outdoors or in temporary shelters rather than risk returning to damaged homes.
SURVIVORS FEAR AFTERSHOCKS
“The shaking was terrifying, so intense that my house nearly collapsed,” farmer Anastasia Imad said from a makeshift tent beside her damaged home. “We feared the aftershocks would bring it down on us while we slept.”
The main earthquake struck shortly before dawn Saturday at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles), triggering a tsunami warning that sent frightened residents toward higher ground before authorities later lifted the alert.
Earlier footage reviewed by Worthy News showed panic at the port in Maumere, where concrete fell from a terminal building, and people plunged into the water after a gangway leading to a ship collapsed.
Relief workers distributed food, drinking water, blankets and medicines while emergency shelters were established for displaced families.
Landslides blocked sections of the roughly 700-kilometer (435-mile) Trans-Flores Highway, complicating efforts to deliver aid, although rescuers said roads to several previously isolated villages had been reopened.
AID REACHING SURVIVORS
Authorities said restoring communications and reaching remote communities remained priorities as the search for possible survivors continued.
More than 3,500 military and police personnel were deployed for relief operations, while authorities declared an emergency in East Nusa Tenggara province to help mobilize resources.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates meet, and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently.
Flores has suffered deadly disasters before. An earthquake and tsunami in 1992 killed about 2,500 people, while Indonesia was also the country hardest hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed about 230,000 people across a dozen nations.
For Christians on Flores, the latest disaster brought disrupted worship and damaged churches, but also calls for prayer, solidarity and practical assistance as rescuers continued searching the rubble.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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