Indonesia's deadliest earthquakes over the past decade
JAKARTA, Aug 16 (Reuters) - A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, killing at least 51 people as rescue operations continued. The quake is the latest in a string of destructive tremors to hit the archipelago, and has put renewed focus on the country's vulnerability to earthquakes.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of intense tectonic activity where several major plates meet. That geography has made the country one of the most quake-prone places in the world. Over the past decade, tremors and tsunamis have killed thousands across the islands, according to the national disaster mitigation agency BNPB.
The deadliest earthquakes recorded in Indonesia over that period, based on BNPB data:
PALU, SIGI - 4,141 DEATHS
Sept. 28, 2018: A magnitude-7.5 earthquake generated a tsunami and caused widespread liquefaction, devastating Palu city and surrounding areas in Donggala regency on Sulawesi. The quake killed 4,141 people, injured 4,438 and left 705 missing. More than 110,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.
CIANJUR - 602
Nov. 21, 2022: A shallow inland magnitude-5.6 earthquake killed 602 people in West Java province. Despite the moderate size, it was Indonesia's deadliest non-tsunami earthquake of the past decade. The quake injured 7,810 people and damaged more than 56,000 homes.
LOMBOK - 518
Aug. 5, 2018: A magnitude-7.0 earthquake and a sequence of powerful aftershocks devastated much of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, killing at least 518 people.
MAMUJU-MAJENE - 107
Jan. 15, 2021: A magnitude-6.2 earthquake triggered widespread building collapses, including government offices, homes and health facilities in West Sulawesi. It killed 107 people and caused extensive damage across Mamuju and Majene regencies.
PIDIE JAYA - 96
Dec. 7, 2016: A shallow magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck before dawn, toppling buildings and trapping residents under the rubble. Records show 96 deaths and hundreds of injuries, making it one of Aceh province's deadliest disasters since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Saturday's quake in eastern Indonesia is another reminder that the country's disaster response is regularly put to the test. Since the 2004 tsunami, Indonesia has expanded its early warning systems and introduced stricter building codes, but experts say implementation remains uneven. In many rural and eastern island communities, poorly built homes and limited road access still make recovery especially difficult, and government agencies often need to coordinate rescue operations across challenging terrain. The scale of losses in the past decade has repeatedly exposed those gaps, even as local officials and volunteer networks have become more experienced at responding to seismic emergencies.
(Reporting by Dewi Kurniawati; Editing by William Mallard)