Indonesia quake toll rises as crews hunt for missing

Search-and-rescue teams in eastern Indonesia worked thro…

Search-and-rescue teams in eastern Indonesia worked through the rubble of collapsed buildings and thick mud on Sunday, looking for victims and possible survivors after a powerful earthquake left at least 47 people dead and many more unaccounted for.

The 7.7-magnitude tremor struck on Saturday, toppling homes and schools and setting off landslides that swept across several districts on Flores island. At least 24 people were confirmed dead in Manggarai regency, while neighboring East Manggarai reported 17 fatalities, according to the national disaster management agency. Additional deaths were recorded in Sikka, Ngada, and Ende regencies, it said.

More than 100 people were injured in the quake, and thousands have been displaced, many of them now sheltering in makeshift camps or with relatives. The full scale of the destruction remained unclear as rescue crews, hampered by damaged roads and downed power lines, pushed into isolated villages where communication had been cut off.

In some areas, heavy equipment was brought in

In some areas, heavy equipment was brought in to clear paths and lift concrete slabs, but much of the digging was done by hand as volunteers and soldiers joined the effort. Officials warned that the death toll could climb as crews reached communities buried under landslides in the island's mountainous interior.

Flores, a largely Catholic region in overwhelmingly Muslim Indonesia, has a history of deadly seismic activity. The country sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines, and quakes of this scale are not uncommon, though their impact is often magnified by poor infrastructure and scattered settlements.

Authorities were also monitoring aftershocks, which continued through the night and into Sunday, adding to the anxiety of survivors who had lost their homes. Emergency shelters were being stocked with food, water, and medical supplies, while officials appealed for clean drinking water and tents for those left exposed to the elements.

The government said it was working to restore

The government said it was working to restore electricity and communications in the worst-hit areas, and that military aircraft were on standby to ferry aid to remote spots. For now, the priority remained finding the missing, with rescue teams racing against time and the threat of further landslides.