Powerful 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Eastern Indonesia, Triggering Tsunami Warnings

 

NEWS | A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the northern coast of Flores Island in eastern Indonesia early Saturday morning, killing at least two people and triggering widespread tsunami warnings. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the major undersea quake occurred at 5:58 a.m. local time at a dangerously shallow depth of 10 kilometers. Its epicenter was located roughly 68 kilometers north-northwest of the coastal city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.

Immediate Impact and Damage

Casualties Reported: At least two people were killed and several others were injured in Maumere, where a passenger port terminal waiting room collapsed.

Structural Failure: The strong tremors caused heavy infrastructure damage across Flores Island. Ceilings partially collapsed at the Frans Sales Lega Airport in Ruteng, and numerous residential homes destroyed in West Manggarai and Nagekeo.

Panic in Communities: Churchgoers fleeing a morning Mass at St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka panicked as an assembly hall roof caved in. One priest suffered a broken leg after leaping from a second-story window.

Tsunami Alerts and Evacuations

Following the tremor, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued urgent tsunami alerts for East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi. Local authorities broadcasted evacuation orders, sending hundreds of panicked residents fleeing to hilly terrains. While the BMKG detected small waves between 19 and 30 centimeters, the tsunami warning was later safely lifted after no significant sea-level shifts materialized.

The initial earthquake has since generated multiple severe aftershocks across the Flores Sea, including secondary jolts measuring magnitudes of 5.6, 5.9, and 6.3. Disaster management teams continue to survey remote coastal villages for further structural damage.