At least 51 people have been killed and rescue operations are continuing following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia. The scale of the damage is also said to have been influenced by in-depth analysis of major earthquakes over the past decade.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on 16 August, killing at least 51 people. Rescue operations are continuing in the affected areas.
Records from the past 10 years are said to show that the depth of the epicenter, the density of buildings, infrastructure conditions and the risk of secondary disasters all affect the death toll from earthquakes.
Past major disasters cited include 4,141 deaths in Palu/Donggala in 2018, 602 deaths in Cianjur, West Java, in 2022, 518 deaths on Lombok Island in 2018, 107 deaths in Mamuju/Majene in 2021 and 96 deaths in Pidie Jaya in 2016.