JAKARTA, Aug 16 — The death toll from the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Flores Island early Saturday has risen to 47, with hundreds of homes and public facilities damaged as authorities mobilised aid to affected areas across East Nusa Tenggara province.

National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre acting head Berton S. Panjaitan said the fatalities were reported across six districts in the province as of 6.48 pm local time.

He said the latest assessment showed 346 houses had been damaged, including 157 severely damaged, 41 moderately damaged and 148 slightly damaged, while damage was also reported at 87 educational facilities, 18 health facilities, five places of worship and six government offices.

“BNPB has begun sending food and non-food assistance to the affected areas including 50,000 aid packages weighing 275 tonnes through the Indonesian Air Force’s Halim Perdanakusuma base in Jakarta, of which 10,500 packages have arrived at the base so far,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

Rescuers are combing through damaged buildings for people who may be trapped inside, while media reported that about 2,000 residents had evacuated from the affected areas on their own. 

Injuries were also reported, but no official figure was immediately available.

The earthquake struck at 4.58 am local time, with its epicentre in the sea about 30 kilometres from Mbay, Nagekeo district, at a depth of 15 kilometres, prompting a tsunami warning that the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) ended at 7.31 am after sea-level observations showed no further significant rise.

Meanwhile, Geological Agency head Lana Saria warned of possible secondary hazards, including landslides, ground cracks and liquefaction, based on an initial assessment, according to Antara news agency.

She said reports of water emerging from the ground in the Waekokak-Mbay area of Nagekeo district had prompted the agency to investigate possible liquefaction, stressing that the initial findings still required field verification. — Bernama