Magnitude 7.7 earthquake shakes Indonesia's coast

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake jolted the coast of Indonesia on Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The seismic event's epicenter was located approximately 62 kilometers northwest of Ende, a town on Flores Island, and 162 kilometers east-northeast of Labuan Bajo.

The earthquake registered at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. As of now, there have been no official reports of casualties or material damage. It remains unclear whether local authorities have issued a tsunami alert following the tremor.

Flores Island is home to about 2 million people. Ende, its capital, has a population of 90,000 and is situated on the southern coast, opposite the earthquake's origin point. Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, lies within the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' a region characterized by frequent and intense seismic and volcanic activity due to the convergence of tectonic plates.