Indonesia quake kills 40 in Flores as tsunami warning is lifted

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores region, killing at least 40 people and damaging entire communities. Rescue teams are battling aftershocks, landslides and blocked roads as fears linger despite the lifted tsunami warning.

In Short

• The shallow undersea quake struck near Ende at 5:58 am local time
• Authorities recorded 235 aftershocks by afternoon, with the strongest reaching magnitude 6.2
• Small tsunami waves hit several coasts before the regional warning was withdrawn

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores region early on Saturday, killing at least 40 people, injuring dozens and causing widespread damage across parts of East Nusa Tenggara and nearby areas. The shallow undersea quake also triggered landslides, damaged homes and public buildings, and set off panic among residents, many of whom ran to higher ground.

Authorities issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi, urging people to stay away from beaches and riverbanks. The warning was later lifted after Indonesia's meteorological agency said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would threaten coastal communities, though small tsunami waves were recorded in several places.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 5.58 am local time at a depth of 10 kilometres. Its epicentre was 68 kilometres north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. By Saturday afternoon, Indonesia's meteorological agency had recorded 235 aftershocks, the strongest measuring up to magnitude 6.2.

The agency said sea-level monitoring stations recorded tsunami waves of up to 1.61 metres in coastal villages in Manggarai and East Manggarai regencies, while waves of 0.94 metres were observed in Maurole, Ende Regency. Tsunami waves higher than 0.5 metres were also detected in Bulukumba in South Sulawesi and Sape in Bima Regency. Videos obtained by The Associated Press showed Ngada village in East Manggarai covered in mud and debris after a 1.61-metre tsunami, with fishing boats stranded ashore, damaged infrastructure and homes surrounded by sediment left by the receding water.

East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Rudi Darmoko said the earthquake caused severe damage and collapsed buildings, while power cuts in towns and villages slowed the flow of information and complicated rescue work. "We are continuing to collect reports of damage and casualties, but there are communication disruptions," Darmoko said. He added that landslides in Ende Regency had cut off the Trans-Flores highway, a roughly 700-kilometre paved mountain road running across Flores Island from Labuan Bajo to Larantuka.

Fathur Rahman, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, said rescuers had recovered at least 40 bodies, mostly in the badly hit regencies of Sikka, Manggarai and East Manggarai, and about 50 people had been taken to hospitals. More than 2,000 villagers in Nagekeo Regency fled to temporary shelters. Rahman said the toll could rise because landslides buried or cut off many remote villages across six regencies on Flores Island. Some remote villages were completely buried, he said, while damaged infrastructure and a lack of heavy equipment hampered rescue efforts. Authorities deployed three helicopters and a rescue vessel to support logistics and emergency operations, including possible evacuations.

The quake was felt across much of Flores Island, with early reports pointing to heavy damage. Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka Regency, said several buildings were damaged and frightened residents rushed uphill. "Many buildings here were damaged ... I saw that the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed," she said.

At St Peter Major Seminary in Sikka, students attending morning Mass ran out in panic after the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, said the Rev Guidelbertus Tanga, rector of the 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 during the quake." Panic was also reported in Labuan Bajo, the gateway town to Komodo National Park, while damage was also reported in Bima in neighbouring West Nusa Tenggara province and in parts of southern Sulawesi.

The earthquake left a trail of deaths, injuries, building collapses, landslides and coastal flooding across Flores and nearby regions, with rescue teams still working in difficult conditions. While the tsunami warning was later withdrawn, aftershocks, disrupted communications and blocked access continued to hinder relief efforts on Saturday.

With PTI Inputs

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