Indonesia’s Flores Island was rocked by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Saturday morning, causing deaths, building collapses and the mass evacuation of residents.
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According to local authorities, 14 people have so far been confirmed dead. A tsunami warning was issued immediately after the tremors but was lifted about three hours later after only small waves were recorded in several coastal areas.
The earthquake struck in the early hours of the morning, with its epicenter located at sea near Flores, approximately 68 kilometers northwest of the city of Ende. The quake’s relatively shallow depth caused strong tremors across surrounding areas, and several aftershocks were subsequently recorded.
Major damage has been reported in several parts of East Nusa Tenggara. Some buildings collapsed, while landslides, power outages and infrastructure damage further worsened the situation. As a safety precaution, patients at a hospital in Maumere were evacuated from the building.
Following the earthquake, around 2,000 residents left the Nagekeo region. Meanwhile, the tsunami warning prompted people in coastal areas to move to higher ground. Although the official warning has been lifted, Indonesian authorities have urged residents to stay away from beaches until further notice.
According to witnesses, the tremors were extremely powerful. Residents in Talibura said families rushed out of their homes, while in other areas people ran toward higher ground for fear that a tsunami could occur.
During the earthquake, the roof of a hall at a Catholic seminary in Sikka collapsed, causing panic. Accounts cited by the Associated Press said a priest broke his leg after jumping from the second floor of a building.
With around two million residents, Flores is a mountainous island where many communities live in small, scattered settlements. The area is part of the Pacific’s so-called “Ring of Fire” and ranks among the regions with the highest seismic activity in Indonesia.
Searches for victims and assessments of further damage are continuing, but aftershocks and landslides have hampered travel in several areas. Search-and-rescue operations are expected to provide new information on the death toll and the extent of the damage.
