The death toll from a powerful Indonesian earthquake off the eastern island of Flores has risen to at least 47, with rescuers continuing to search for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Indonesia’s national disaster management agency, BNPB, raised the toll from 40 on Saturday. Rescue official Fathur Rahman said 50 people were injured after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores.

BNPB chief Suharyanto said people were believed to be trapped in several buildings, making the structures a priority for emergency response teams.

The earthquake damaged nearly 160 houses, along with dozens of educational and health facilities and other public buildings, according to the agency.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said preparations were underway to assist about 2,000 people staying in temporary shelters.

The Indonesian government also sent 50,000 aid packages, weighing a combined 275 tonnes, to affected communities. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered support through the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite system.

Rescue Efforts Hampered

Rescue operations have been complicated by landslides that cut off roads, while parts of Flores were left without electricity and telecommunications.

Residents also faced the threat of aftershocks. Dozens were recorded following the main earthquake, with the strongest measuring 6.1.

Authorities lifted a tsunami warning but urged residents to stay away from damaged buildings because further tremors could cause unstable structures to collapse.

Waves reaching up to 1.6 metres were reported in some coastal areas of Flores, according to Indonesia’s BMKG geological agency.

Residents near Nagekeo, close to the earthquake’s epicentre, reportedly moved towards higher ground after the sea retreated, raising fears of a possible tsunami.

Residents Describe Panic

Yulian Juita Ekalia, a university lecturer living in Ruteng, more than 100 kilometres from the epicentre, described the shaking as the strongest earthquake she had experienced.

She told AFP that she was jolted awake at about 5:30am local time and rushed outside after household items began falling.

Other residents also described widespread panic as people fled their homes and sought safer locations.

Hospitals treated patients in temporary medical tents amid concerns about further tremors.

The shallow earthquake was located just off Flores’ northern coast, according to US and Indonesian authorities.

Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic activity.

Flores was previously hit by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1992, which triggered a tsunami and killed around 2,500 people.

The country was also among the worst affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which killed about 220,000 people across the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.