Thousands in Indonesia await aid after quake kills 68, overshadowing Independence Day

Asia - South China Morning Post · Aug 17, 2026

Thousands of people were still waiting for aid on the Indonesian island of Flores as the country marked its 81st Independence Day on Monday, days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 68 people, injured more than 200 others and damaged hundreds of homes and other buildings. Many residents on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province spent the day mourning victims and waiting for aid to arrive to communities still cut off by the deadly quake. During Indonesia’s Independence Day ceremony...