A POWERFUL 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 20 people and injuring six, while two others remained buried, according to a search and rescue official.
"From the reports we have received, 20 people have died, six are injured, and two are still buried," Maumere search and rescue official Fathur Rahman told AFP by telephone while travelling by boat to the affected area.
The shallow earthquake struck at 4.58am local time, with Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recording its depth at 15km.
The epicentre was located offshore near the north coast of Flores, about 68km north-west of Ende, according to United States and Indonesian authorities. The earthquake was followed by strong aftershocks, including one measuring 6.1.
A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the earthquake, with authorities initially warning of waves between 0.5 and 3 metres. The alert was lifted about three hours later after waves of less than one metre were recorded in several parts of Indonesia.
The powerful shaking was felt across East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi, with residents in several areas reporting that the tremor lasted about a minute.
"Most of the people felt the shock and scattered out of their homes," Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.
Footage verified by Reuters showed part of a building collapsing into rubble as people screamed and fled through the streets at a port in Maumere, the main town in Sikka Regency on Flores.
"The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family," said Nona, a 51-year-old resident of Talibura village in East Nusa Tenggara.
"There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves," she said.
A hospital in Ende district moved patients outside following the earthquake, while local media reported a landslide.
About 2,000 residents in Nagekeo were evacuated, with damage reported to houses, warehouses and government facilities, BNPB said.
Yohanes Babo, 56, a Nagekeo resident, said he was at a market when the earthquake struck.
"The shaking was strong. Thankfully, we were already outside the house," he told AFP.
"People were panicking, running here and there. We’re evacuating for the time being... and trying to get to the hills," he said, adding that his family was safe.
BNPB also reported traffic congestion and power outages in parts of the regency as authorities assessed the extent of the damage.
BMKG urged residents in affected coastal areas to move to higher ground after issuing the initial tsunami warning.
"We have ended (the tsunami warning) but we will keep monitoring the sea level," said Wijayanto, an official with BMKG.
Australia’s tsunami warning centre separately said the undersea earthquake posed no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.
Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through South-east Asia and across the Pacific.
The country has experienced several devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, including the 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra in 2004 that triggered a tsunami which killed about 220,000 people across the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.
In 2018, a series of powerful earthquakes struck Lombok and neighbouring Sumbawa, killing more than 550 people. Later that year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Palu on Sulawesi, leaving more than 4,300 people dead or missing. - August 15, 2026
