// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Aid shortages and fears of starvation as Indonesia reels from deadly earthquake
At least 53 people have been killed and some 5,000 displaced by the initial quake, which struck at a depth of just 15km
Aid disruptions and aftershocks across the Indonesian island of Flores are fuelling fears among thousands of survivors who were displaced by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Saturday.
Refugees are sleeping outdoors through sweltering days and frigid nights for fear that more buildings may collapse. Tents set up amid the rubble of collapsed hospitals are serving as makeshift emergency rooms for injured patients. And as landslides sever access roads and supplies dwindle in several parts of the island, there are growing concerns about how much longer survivors can hold out.
At least 53 people were killed and some 5,000 displaced by the initial quake, which struck shortly before 06:00 Saturday (23:00 GMT Friday) at a depth of just 15km.
It is the country's deadliest earthquake since 2022, when hundreds of people were killed in West Java.
"We heard that medical assistance would be provided, but nothing has arrived yet," Rista Mari, a public relations officer at the Ruteng Regional General Hospital in Manggarai Regency, told the BBC. "We hope that assistance will arrive soon."
Early data from Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency indicates that more than 1,000 houses have been damaged, along with dozens of health facilities, schools and government offices.
But the full scale of the disaster is still being uncovered.
Makeshift emergency rooms have been set up in tents after hospitals were destroyed in Saturday's devastating earthquake
In Flores' westernmost town of Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo National Park and one of Indonesia's most popular tourist destinations, many survivors have been sleeping outdoors, fearful that if the tremors continue they might be crushed in their sleep.