A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores Island early Saturday, killing at least two people and prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake occurred at 5:58am local time, with its epicentre located about 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. The quake struck at a depth of approximately 10 kilometres.
Indonesia’s national disaster agency, BNPB, said a man and a woman were killed at Maumere port, while another person was injured. Several buildings, including structures around the port, were damaged.
Three strong aftershocks followed within 30 minutes, measuring 5.9, 5.6 and 6.1 in magnitude.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning for affected coastal areas and urged residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks. Authorities advised people to evacuate at least two kilometres inland or move to areas more than 10 metres above sea level.
Officials warned that the full extent of the damage was still emerging, with reports of damaged homes and several affected areas remaining difficult for emergency responders to reach.
More than 500,000 people on Flores Island may have experienced very strong shaking, while several million others across the wider region could have felt moderate to strong tremors.
Indonesia is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, making it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. The same region experienced a devastating earthquake and tsunami in December 1992, which killed more than 2,500 people on Flores.
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