Indonesia earthquake: Woman gives birth during magnitude 7.7 tremor

In the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, 39-year-old Maria Florida Nogo Kelen underwent an emergency caesarean section during a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The earthquake, which struck near Nagekeo, caused widespread damage to buildings and cut power to local medical facilities.

Due to the power outage and ongoing aftershocks, medical staff were forced to perform the surgery using flashlights. Doctors determined that immediate surgery was necessary to prevent Kelen from experiencing a potentially fatal seizure caused by a complicated pregnancy. The baby, born weighing 1.3kg, was named Gempita in honor of the Indonesian word for earthquake, ‘gempa’.

While Kelen survived a post-delivery hemorrhage, the newborn has required care in an incubator placed within a tent on a grassy area due to hospital damage. The earthquake, which had an epicenter near Ende on Flores, triggered tsunami warnings that were later lifted. Rescuers continue to search for individuals trapped under rubble as the region manages the aftermath of the disaster.