Aid delivered as landslides hamper response to Indonesia earthquake that killed 47

Deadly Quake Strikes

At least 47 people were killed and thousands forced from their homes after a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province on Saturday.

Footage filmed on Sunday shows aerial views of widespread structural damage across Nagekeo regency. BASARNAS personnel are also seen unloading supplies, speaking with residents at a temporary camp and navigating difficult access routes to reach affected communities.

More than 100 people have been injured, while 9,290 residents were staying at evacuation sites by Sunday, including around 500 people in Nagekeo.

Rescue Efforts Continue

Search and rescue operations continued across the disaster zone, with landslides, blocked roads and communication problems hampering efforts to reach some communities.

BASARNAS Director of Preparedness Noer Isrodin Muchlisin said reinforcements and aerial resources were being sent to support operations.

“Personnel from headquarters departed for the affected location tonight. We are also providing aerial asset reinforcement: a BASARNAS helicopter has now arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport, and drones – as of today, August 16, 2026 – have been activated and deployed to the affected area,” he said.

Indonesia’s military has also deployed personnel and equipment, while the National Police prepared 260 officers to reinforce search, evacuation, medical and victim-identification operations. An initial 137 officers were dispatched in the first phase.

Tsunami Warning Lifted

The earthquake struck at 05:58 local time on Saturday (21:58 GMT on Friday), with its epicentre at sea near Nagekeo at a shallow depth of 15 kilometres.

A tsunami warning was issued after the quake, with waves detected at several monitoring stations, including one reaching 0.94 metres at Maurole in Ende.

The warning was later lifted as rescue and relief operations shifted towards reaching isolated communities and providing food, shelter and medical assistance to thousands of displaced residents.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, via Viory.Video