At least 38 people were killed when a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday. Two others were seriously injured, 11 suffered minor injuries and about 2,000 residents were displaced, said Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
The quake struck the Flores island region in East Nusa Tenggara province. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was about 42 miles (68 km) north-northwest of the town of Ende and the quake was shallow, raising the potential for major surface damage. The main quake was followed by multiple aftershocks.
Authorities issue tsunami warning
Immediately after the earthquake, Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami warning and urged residents of coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground.
The warning was later lifted after observations by the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency showed no dangerous rise in sea levels. Reuters reports that waves of less than one meter were recorded in some places.
The most serious damage was reported in several areas of Flores. Residential and public buildings collapsed, and landslides cut off key road links.
In the Ende district, landslides blocked parts of the Trans-Flores highway - the main land route that crosses the island. This further hampered rescue operations.
Power and communications outages also hampered the collection of information from the worst-hit areas. Indonesian authorities have sent a helicopter for logistical support and possible evacuations.
The strong tremor was felt across much of Flores, as well as in other areas of East and West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi.
In Maumere, severe damage was reported to buildings. At a seminary in Sika, a roof collapsed during morning mass, and a priest was injured after jumping from the second floor of a building.
Patients from several hospitals were evacuated as a precaution, and medical teams have set up temporary treatment areas outdoors.
Indonesia is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire – an area of extremely high seismic and volcanic activity.
In 1992, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in the Flores region triggered a tsunami that killed about 2,500 people. In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami that killed about 230,000 people in more than a dozen countries.
Rescue efforts are continuing after the current disaster, and authorities are warning that the death toll and extent of damage could change as teams reach more remote areas.