7.7 Earthquake Strikes Indonesia, Killing at Least 2

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Flores Island in eastern Indonesia early Saturday morning, killing at least two people and triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted, according to Xinhua News. The shallow quake struck at 05:58 local time on Saturday at a depth of approximately 10-15 kilometers, with its epicenter located about 30 kilometers northeast of Mbay in the Nagekeo Regency of East Nusa Tenggara province.

The US Geological Survey recorded the earthquake at magnitude 7.7 with a depth of 10 kilometers, while Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) reported a depth of 15 kilometers. The quake was caused by thrust faulting on the Flores back-arc thrust fault, a segment that geologists had previously evaluated as capable of producing earthquakes up to magnitude 7.8-7.9.

Tsunami Warning and Evacuations

BMKG issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi, prompting thousands of residents to flee to higher ground. According to the BMKG official tsunami warning page, tsunami waves were detected at multiple locations, with the maximum height of 0.94 meters (3 feet 1 inch) recorded at Maurole district in Ende Regency. Waves of 0.36 meters were detected at Labuan Bajo, and smaller waves were recorded at Sikka, Dompu, and other coastal locations.

The tsunami warning was lifted approximately three hours after the earthquake, at around 07:30 WIB, after monitoring showed no significant sea level changes that would pose a threat to coastal communities, as BBC News reported.

Abdul Muhari, an official at Indonesia’s national disaster agency BNPB, urged residents to evacuate immediately, saying they should “move away from the shore, either by going more than two kilometres inland or by moving up into hilly areas more than 10 meters high,” according to RTE.

Casualties and Damage

Indonesian disaster officials confirmed at least two deaths from the earthquake, with the toll expected to rise as search and rescue teams reach remote areas. The Guardian reported that the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province said five people had died after rubble fell on them as they slept, while BNPB put the toll at two dead and several injured.

Significant infrastructure damage was reported across multiple regencies. In Maumere, the main town in Sikka Regency, a maritime passenger terminal collapsed, killing two people and injuring five others. The Frans Sales Lega Airport in Ruteng suffered a partial ceiling collapse, and the Hotel Jayakarta in Labuan Bajo sustained significant damage to its lobby, walls, and furnishings, according to CNN Indonesia.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and destruction. “Suddenly it started to shake and I panicked,” Lukas Lotar, a 31-year-old hospital customer service official in Maumere, told AFP. “Patients also fled the hospital, the jolt was big. I saw some walls were cracked.”

Yohanes Babo, a 56-year-old resident of Nagekeo, said he was at a market when the quake struck. “The shaking was strong. Thankfully, we were already outside the house,” he said. “People were panicking, running here and there. We’re evacuating for the time being… and trying to get to the hills.”

Aftershocks and Regional Impact

BMKG recorded more than 30 aftershocks following the main earthquake, with at least seven exceeding magnitude 5.0 and the largest measuring magnitude 6.1, according to RNZ. The strong shaking was felt across much of Flores Island and extended to Makassar in South Sulawesi, where residents reported tremors lasting approximately two minutes, as Detik reported.

The earthquake occurred in a seismically active region where the Australian and Sunda plates converge at a rate of about 80 millimeters per year. The area has experienced numerous significant earthquakes, including the devastating 1992 Flores earthquake (magnitude 7.8) that killed over 2,000 people and generated a destructive tsunami. The Wikipedia article on the event notes that the western segment of the Flores thrust fault had remained unruptured until this 2026 event.

Response and Recovery

Search and rescue teams have been deployed to multiple locations across the affected region, with emergency crews working to assess the full extent of damage in remote areas. The Chinese Consulate in Denpasar issued a public notice reminding Chinese citizens, particularly tourists in the Labuan Bajo area, to maintain high vigilance and stay away from the coast.

Officials have urged residents to remain cautious despite the tsunami warning being lifted, warning of potential aftershocks and advising people to avoid damaged buildings. As assessments continue, the death toll may rise as search and rescue operations reach more isolated communities in the mountainous terrain of East Nusa Tenggara.