A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores Island early Saturday, resulting in two fatalities and triggering an immediate tsunami warning. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the tremor occurred at 5:58 am local time (21:58 GMT Friday), with an epicentre located approximately 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Indonesia’s national disaster agency, BNPB, confirmed that a man and a woman lost their lives at the L Say Maumere port, while another individual sustained injuries. Local media reports and footage from the region indicate significant structural damage to buildings, particularly around the Maumere area, where the impact was most severe.
In the wake of the initial quake, three aftershocks measuring 5.9, 5.6, and 6.1 magnitudes occurred within 30 minutes. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued a formal tsunami warning, advising the public to avoid riverbanks and beaches. BNPB official Abdul Muhari urged residents across the northern and southern coasts of Flores and surrounding islands to evacuate immediately.
Muhari specifically instructed communities to “move away from the shore, either by going more than two kilometres inland or by moving up into hilly areas more than 10 metres [33ft] high.” While the threat remains localized, Australia’s tsunami warning centre has confirmed that the event poses no danger to the Australian mainland or its territories.
USGS data indicates that over half a million people on Flores Island likely experienced intense shaking, with millions more across the region feeling moderate to strong tremors. Authorities are currently monitoring the situation for further seismic activity and assessing the ongoing risk of aftershocks.
Indonesia, an archipelago of roughly 17,000 islands and 270 million people, is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” making it one of the most seismically active regions globally. This specific coastline has a history of devastating seismic events, most notably in December 1992, when a similar magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami claimed the lives of more than 2,500 people on Flores.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck early Saturday at 5:58am local time (21:58 GMT Friday), with an epicentre about 68 kilometres (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende, in East Nusa
USGS put the depth at 10km (6.2 miles).