Magnitude 7.7 earthquake shakes Indonesia

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake jolted eastern Indonesia early Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The quake struck at 05:58 local time (21:58 GMT) at a shallow depth off the island of Flores. Its epicenter was located 68 kilometers (42 miles) from the city of Ende in the East Nusa Tenggara province.

The initial tremor was followed by two significant aftershocks in the same region, measuring magnitudes 5.6 and 5.9. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a warning, indicating the possibility of tsunami waves being generated by the earthquake.

Indonesia is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area prone to frequent seismic activity. This region experiences numerous earthquakes due to the movement of tectonic plates. Earlier in July, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit the eastern islands without causing casualties or major damage.

This seismic event brings to mind past devastating earthquakes in the country. In 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake followed by a tsunami resulted in 2,200 deaths in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province.