Magnitude 5.9 quake rattles Indonesia's Flores region amid ongoing aftershocks

Indonesia's Flores region experienced a magnitude 5.9 earthquake, with the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre noting a focal depth of 10 kilometres. This tremor arrives only days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude quake that struck off Flores Island, killing at least 73 individuals, wounding more than 900 and forcing nearly 60,000 people from their homes, according to Indonesian authorities. The earlier quake triggered landslides, destroyed homes, schools, health centres and government buildings, and produced minor tsunami waves reaching roughly 1.61 metres before the alert was cancelled.

The recent shock adds to a series of more than 3,000 aftershocks that have kept residents on edge and complicated relief operations in areas where landslides and damaged roads limit access. Authorities continue to monitor the situation as the region remains vulnerable to further seismic activity.