Indonesia: A strong 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores region early Saturday, bringing down buildings, damaging homes and leaving at least five people dead, authorities said.
The shallow earthquake struck at around 5:58 am local time, according to the US Geological Survey. The epicentre was located about 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, at a depth of roughly 10 kilometres.
The powerful tremor was followed by a series of aftershocks, triggering widespread panic among residents across Flores Island and surrounding areas.
Authorities initially issued a tsunami alert for several coastal areas and advised people to move away from beaches and riverbanks and seek higher ground. The warning was subsequently withdrawn after Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency reported that its monitoring had not detected dangerous changes in sea levels.
Five fatalities reported amid widespread damage
East Nusa Tenggara police chief Rudi Darmoko said preliminary information indicated two deaths in Sikka Regency and three in Manggarai Regency.
Several buildings were reportedly damaged or destroyed by the shaking. Power failures across towns and villages also disrupted communications, making it difficult for authorities to gather information about casualties and damage.
Darmoko said emergency teams were continuing to collect reports while search and rescue operations remained underway.
The impact was also visible at hospitals, where patients were moved outside as a precaution amid concerns about damaged structures and possible aftershocks. Medical teams transferred beds, oxygen equipment and other supplies outdoors and established temporary treatment areas.
Buildings collapse as residents flee
Residents in Sikka described scenes of panic following the earthquake. Yohanna Embu said several structures were damaged and reported that part of the waiting area at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed.
At St Peter Major Seminary in Sikka, students attending morning Mass rushed outside after part of an assembly hall gave way. The institution’s rector, Rev Guidelbertus Tanga, said students and nuns fled as the structure began collapsing.
A priest was also reported to have suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building during the earthquake.
The tremor was felt beyond Flores, with reports of panic and damage emerging from Bima in neighbouring West Nusa Tenggara province. Some areas of southern Sulawesi also reported damage.
Tsunami alert withdrawn
The initial tsunami warning covered parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi. Residents in affected coastal areas were told to remain away from shorelines while authorities assessed the threat.
The warning was later cancelled after monitoring indicated that the earthquake had not generated significant sea-level changes capable of producing a dangerous tsunami.
Indonesia’s history of deadly earthquakes
Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an extensive zone marked by tectonic activity, volcanoes and fault systems.
The country has experienced several devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in recent decades. A major earthquake off Flores in 1992 triggered a tsunami that killed around 2,500 people.
In 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck near Sulawesi and generated a tsunami that devastated coastal communities. Severe ground liquefaction also occurred in Palu, where entire neighbourhoods were affected. More than 4,400 people died in the disaster.
The Mentawai Islands were hit by a tsunami in 2010 after a powerful offshore earthquake, leaving more than 400 people dead.
Indonesia was also among the countries worst affected by the massive Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. The magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggered waves across several countries, killing around 230,000 people.
As rescue teams continued working in areas affected by Saturday’s earthquake, authorities remained focused on assessing structural damage, locating those who may be trapped and monitoring the region for further aftershocks.
