At least two dead in magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Indonesia

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, resulting in at least two fatalities and forcing thousands of coastal residents to evacuate amid a temporary tsunami alert. The tremor occurred at 5:58 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located shallowly north of Flores Island, approximately 68 kilometers from the city of Ende.

The initial quake was followed by significant aftershocks, including one measuring magnitude 6.1. Images captured by AFP depict numerous buildings suffering damage. Lukas Lotar, a 31-year-old hospital employee, described the experience: "Suddenly it started to shake and I panicked. The patients also fled; the shaking was strong. I saw that some walls had cracked."

Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, spokesperson for the national disaster management agency, confirmed two deaths – a man and a woman. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had warned of potential tsunami waves ranging from 0.5 to three meters for several provinces, prompting an urgent evacuation order. Residents were advised to move more than two kilometers inland or ascend to elevations above 10 meters. The tsunami warning was subsequently withdrawn.