The events of December 12th, 1992, changed life in SouthEast Asia forever. The earthquake and tsunami that tore through the region, killing thousands and displacing many more, was particularly devastating to the inhabitants of the relatively unknown city of Maumere. Here we learn more about how it has changed the lives of people, and their home, forever.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake, hitting off the coast of Flores, Indonesia, triggered a 36 metre high tsunami, killing over 2000 people, and displacing more than 5000. According to sources, 18 000 homes were lost on that day, 113 schools destroyed and hundreds of roads, buildings and other vital infrastructure was lost. Most affected were the Sikka Regency, Ngada Regency, Ende Regency and East Flores Regency, and worst hit of all was the city of Maumere.
The Nusa Tengarra region is an active earthquake region, and to date, there have been over 24 major earthquakes recorded here. The high level of seismic activity is due to shifting tectonic plates underneath Indonesia. The Eurasian (Sunda) Plate and Australian Plate (Sahul Shelf) meet with two oceanic plates, the Philippine Sea Plate and Pacific Plate, causing dramatic seismic ruptures in the region.
The 1992 earthquake originated under the ocean floor, just north of Maumere. It triggered the tsunami that started in Tanjung Palaboko (west) spanning to Tanjung Bunga (east). In Maumere, the capital of the Sikka Regency, the earthquake was felt so strongly that it immediately caused hundreds of buildings to collapse. Some coastal villages sank because of the sinking land mass, and a few minutes after this first disaster, when people were still in shock and with many casualties, the ocean started to rise, with the first of the high waves hitting the coast.
The tsunami sent walls of water towards the coastline, obliterating buildings, and washing ships ashore and even tossing up the cement-laden pontoons usually found on the seabed off Maumere. The destructive power of the tsunami intensified, as waves entered the narrow bays, causing the waves to surge even higher and severly impact places like Maumere Bay and Hading Bay. Subsidence of the land occurred in two locations around Hading Bay (Larantuka) causing the land to drop to a height of 40 metres in some places, and spanning over a kilometre in length, wiping out entitre coastal communities. And of course, it was devastating to the people of Indonesia, with countless lives lost in many locations, and in particular at Babi Island and Tanjung Bunga.
In Maumere, the tsunami and earthquake devastated more than just the land and its beautiful people. It also wiped out much of its reefs and marine life, vital for the economy of coastal villages like Maumere. The landscape of Maumere was changed forever on that day, 27 years ago. However with time and the input of many amazing organisations and individuals, the region has recovered and rebuilt. In fact, the tsunami and earthquake created some surprising new features in the region. Near the severely impacted Babi Island, a tsunami fault formed at a depth of 10-16 metres under the sea. Now known as ‘The Crack’, this natural fracture in the seabed has become densely populated with corals and marine life, and is now a popular dive spot. One of only four in the world (the others are found in Thailand, Maldives, and Sri Lanka), it attracts divers and tourists who are keen to explore and dive the very special natural phenomenon. From West Alok District in the west, to Talibura District in the east, there are 30 dive sites to choose from, with vibrant underwater coral reefs teeming with healthy marine life, fish, seaweeds and the stunning Lembeh sea dragon. It took some time, but Maumere, Babi Islands and ‘The Crack’ are proof of the irrepressible natural beauty of Indonesia.
Written by the team from The Travellist Indonesia (https://the-travellist.com/ and https://thetravellistindonesia.com/) on behalf of Love Komodo.