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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Disasters & Emergencies

Powerful Earthquake Sparks Mass Evacuations in Indonesia

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia, prompting a tsunami warning and mass evacuations.
  • Thousands fled to higher ground as the sea receded, a potential precursor to a tsunami, though the warning was later lifted.
  • Residents described panic and damage, with some walls cracking, as aftershocks continued to rattle the region.

A significant 7.7-magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Indonesia early Saturday, triggering widespread panic and prompting thousands to evacuate as authorities issued a tsunami warning. The quake's epicenter was located off the north coast of Flores island, approximately 68 kilometers northwest of the coastal town of Ende.

Suddenly it started to shake, and I panicked. Patients also fled the hospital; the jolt was big. I saw some walls were cracked.

— Lukas LotarA Maumere resident describing the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

Residents in Nagekeo regency, the area nearest the epicenter, rushed to higher ground after observing the sea recede, a classic indicator of an impending tsunami. The warning, however, was eventually lifted, providing some relief to the affected population. The initial tremor was followed by powerful aftershocks, including one measuring 6.1, further unsettling the region.

The shaking was strong. Thankfully, we were already outside the house. People were panicking, running here and there. We’re evacuating for the time being… and trying to get to the hills.

— Yohanes BaboA Nagekeo resident explaining his evacuation during the earthquake.

Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of fear and disruption. Lukas Lotar, a hospital official in Maumere, described the sudden, intense shaking and the ensuing panic. "Patients also fled the hospital; the jolt was big. I saw some walls were cracked," he told AFP. Yohanes Babo, a resident in Nagekeo, recounted being at a market when the earthquake struck. "The shaking was strong. Thankfully, we were already outside the house. People were panicking, running here and there. We’re evacuating for the time being… and trying to get to the hills," he said, confirming his family's safety.

We strongly urge our communities along the northern coast of Flores and in the southern parts, on the southern islands and across the southern region, to carry out self-evacuation immediately.

— Abdul MuhariAn official at the national disaster agency urging immediate evacuation.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency had warned of potential tsunami waves, urging coastal communities to move inland or to higher elevations. An official at the national disaster agency, Abdul Muhari, specifically advised residents to evacuate more than two kilometers inland or ascend to hills over 10 meters high. Tsunami modeling indicated potential waves ranging from 0.5 to 3 meters in several provinces, though the alert was later canceled. Despite the lifted warning, monitoring of sea levels continues.

We have ended (the tsunami warning) but we will keep monitoring the sea level.

— WijayantoDirector of BMKG earthquake and tsunami, confirming the lifting of the warning.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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