Quake-Hit Indonesian Hospital Treats Patients in Tents as Death Toll Rises
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake off Flores Island kills at least 47, injures dozens, and forces a hospital to treat patients outdoors.
A powerful earthquake that struck off the coast of Flores Island in eastern Indonesia has left at least 47 people dead, with authorities warning that the toll is likely to climb as rescue efforts continue.
The magnitude 7.7 quake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time on Friday at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was located 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende, a city in East Nusa Tenggara province.
Video footage shared by a health worker at Ruteng General Hospital shows the scale of the challenge facing medical staff. The clip, recorded by Apt. Yuliana Inda Rahayu, the hospital's head of pharmacy installation, captures patients being treated in tents set up outside the facility, while staff inside walk through damaged corridors and gather supplies.
The quake triggered a tsunami warning, prompting authorities to urge coastal residents to move to higher ground. The alert was later lifted after Indonesia's meteorological agency reported that monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes threatening coastal communities.
The agency also reported at least 235 aftershocks following the main tremor, with the largest registering at magnitude 6.2.
Dozens of residents have been injured, and buildings have collapsed across the region. Emergency teams are working to reach affected areas and assess the full extent of the damage.