At least five people died and dozens of others were injured after a devastating an earthquake in Indonesia with a magnitude 7.7 on the Richter scale shook the eastern part of the country early this morning. The death toll was officially confirmed at a press conference by the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, Emmanuel Melquiades Laka Lena. He said the victims were buried under collapsed debris while they were sleeping in their homes.
Two people died in Sika district, while three others lost their lives in Mangarai district on Flores island. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) initially reported one casualty but warned that debris clearance was ongoing.
Epicenter and aftershocks
The strong quake was recorded by the Indonesian Geophysics Agency (BMKG) at 4:58 am local time (in the area of Mbai Village, Nagekeo District) at shallow depth by 15 kilometers. The earthquake was felt extremely strongly for about a minute, and the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported more than 11 powerful aftershocks, the strongest of which had magnitudes of 6.1 and 6.2 on the Richter scale.
Tsunami warning and evacuation canceled
Immediately after the earthquake, authorities in Jakarta issued a tsunami warning for coastal regions, forcing more than 2,000 residents to evacuate in panic to higher ground. The warning was lifted about three hours later after waves of less than 1 meter were recorded in several areas.
Serious material damage was caused to dozens of residential buildings, the port terminal in the city of Maumere, and government warehouses. Local television stations (including Kompas TV) showed footage of patients being evacuated from the regional hospital in Ende district, who were being treated outdoors due to the risk of further collapses. There are reports of power outages and large landslides blocking major roads.
Indonesia is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire - a highly seismic zone where the collision of tectonic plates causes regular earthquakes and volcanic activity. The current disaster reminded locals of the tragic year of 1992, when a similar 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the same region of Flores claimed the lives of over 2,500 people.