Earthquake of magnitude 7.7 hits Indonesia's Flores region, killing at least 38
A 7.7-magnitude quake struck off Flores early Saturday, causing building collapses, landslides and at least 38 deaths, while a tsunami warning was later lifted.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores region at 5:58 a.m. local time on Saturday, killing at least 38 people and injuring more than a dozen. The US Geological Survey reported the quake’s depth at 10 kilometres and its epicenter 68 km north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.
The National Disaster Management Agency said rescuers recovered bodies mainly in the regencies of Sikka, Manggarai and East Manggarai, including 16 victims from a landslide in the village of Reok. Three helicopters and a rescue vessel were deployed, and about 2,000 residents of Nagekeo regency were moved to temporary shelters.
Police chief Rudi Darmoko noted severe damage to buildings, power outages and disrupted communications, which hampered rescue efforts. Landslides in Ende regency blocked the Trans-Flores highway, a major mountain road linking Labuan Bajo and Larantuka.
Local hospitals evacuated patients and set up outdoor treatment areas as a precaution. Residents reported collapsed structures, including a port terminal waiting room in Maumere and the roof of an assembly hall at St. Peter Major Seminary, where a priest sustained a broken leg.
Authorities initially issued a tsunami warning for parts of East and West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi, urging people to move to higher ground. The warning was lifted after monitoring showed no significant sea-level rise.
Indonesia, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic activity. The region has previously suffered deadly quakes and tsunamis, including the 1992 Flores event and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.