A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores region early Saturday, killing at least five people. Strong, severe shaking was experienced across multiple regencies in Flores Island, including Nagekeo, Manggarai, and Sikka. Indonesia's national search agency, Basarnas, and joint disaster mitigation teams (BNPB) are actively searching through collapsed infrastructure—including maritime port terminals, university campus buildings, and residential homes—where residents may still be trapped.
Indonesian geophysics agency BMKG recorded the first quake at 4:58 am (2158 GMT) at a depth of 15 km (9 miles), followed by several aftershocks. About 2,000 residents in Nagekeo evacuated, and damage was reported to a number of houses, warehouses and government facilities, BNPB said.
Tsunami warnings were initially issued across the region, with waves measuring under 1 meter (3 feet) recorded in parts of Indonesia. Authorities lifted the warning three hours later after determining the threat had passed.
Videos circulating on social media showed buildings collapsing into dust and rubble as people screamed and ran into the streets.
Its epicentre was 68 km north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.
The governor of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, told a press conference that five people died from collapsing rubble as they slept. According to authorities, the toll is likely to rise.
"The quake was massive; the shock was so strong...we were resting at home with family," Nona, a 51-year-old resident of Talibura, a village in East Nusa Tenggara, was quoted by Reuters. "There were 13 of us inside the house, and we all ran to save ourselves."
Strong tremors lasting around one minute were felt across East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, and parts of South Sulawesi, according to Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB). 'Most of the people felt the shock and scattered out of their homes,' the agency stated.
The agency reported traffic congestion and power outages affecting several parts of the regency. Meanwhile, Australia's Tsunami Warning Centre confirmed that the undersea earthquake poses no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands, or territories.
Students attending morning Mass at St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka fled in panic when an assembly hall roof collapsed during the earthquake, according to the rector, Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga. The institution is known locally on Flores Island as Ritapiret Seminary.
'Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,' Tanga said. 'At least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building.
