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Birth Amidst Quake: Miracle Baby Born in Indonesian Tremors
17 Aug
Summary
- A mother gave birth during a 7.7 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks.
- The premature birth occurred during power outages and a collapsing hospital.
- The baby, named Gempita, was born weighing just 1.3 kilograms.
In Nagekeo, Indonesia, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks wreaked havoc on the East Nusa Tenggara province. During the seismic event, Maria Florida Nogo Kelen, 39, delivered her fourth child, a daughter named Gempita, two months early. The emergency surgery was fraught with danger, as intermittent power outages forced doctors to use flashlights.
The hospital building itself was shaking, adding to the peril of the complex procedure. Doctors feared Maria could suffer a fatal seizure if the birth was delayed. Gempita was born weighing just 1.3 kilograms and was placed in an incubator outdoors.
This disaster marks Indonesia's deadliest since 2022, with 54 fatalities reported so far. Many medical facilities and homes were damaged, forcing medical professionals to treat patients in tents. Rescuers continued to search for survivors, while displaced residents sought aid and shelter, anxious about further aftershocks.
