Norwegian Tourist Recounts Terrifying Escape from Collapsing Hotel After Indonesia Quake

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake jolted Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday morning, sending guests at the Jayakarta Hotel in Labuan Bajo into a panic. Many fled the building with only essential belongings as the strong tremors caused parts of the hotel to collapse.

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Today we were woken by a big earthquake. Before that, I didn't realize what was happening. When I looked out the window, I saw hotel staff running past the pool area. That's when I realized the situation was serious. I immediately put on clothes and headed to the corridor.

Torhstaeen, a 28-year-old Norwegian tourist who had checked in the previous night, recounted waking up to the violent shaking. From his fifth-floor room, he saw hotel staff and guests scrambling around the pool area. "I realized the situation was serious. I immediately put on clothes and headed to the corridor," he told CNNIndonesia.com.

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When I was about to use the elevator, there was already a family there. And, they forbade me from going down [using the elevator], because the hotel walls had collapsed. They advised me to stay near the elevator until the earthquake stopped. After the earthquake stopped, we looked for a way out through the emergency stairs.

When he approached the elevator, a family warned him against using it due to collapsing walls, advising him to stay near the lift until the shaking stopped. After the earthquake subsided, they used the emergency stairs to evacuate. "The walls started to crumble, the rumbling sound grew louder. We didn't have time to grab our phones or wear sandals, we just ran down slowly with other guests, helped by hotel staff," added Jessie, another guest from Surabaya.

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The sound was very loud, the building shook violently. I thought someone was knocking on the door, but it turned out to be an earthquake. It felt much stronger and longer than what we usually feel.

Kadek and Jessie, also staying on the fifth floor, described hearing a loud noise accompanying the intense shaking. They initially thought someone was knocking, but the prolonged and powerful tremors made it clear it was an earthquake. Their escape route via the emergency stairs was also obstructed by falling debris on the fourth floor, forcing them to pause until the shaking lessened. The initial quake was estimated to last about five minutes, with several aftershocks felt even after guests had gathered outside.

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The walls started to crumble, the rumbling sound grew louder. We didn't have time to grab our phones or wear sandals, we just ran down slowly with other guests, helped by hotel staff.