Powerful quake off Indonesia kills 20, sparks mass evacuations

Rescuers are sifting through rubble for survivors on Saturday after a powerful earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores island in the east, claiming at least 20 lives and prompting thousands to evacuate. Rescue official Fathur Rahman reported that 20 people had died and six were injured, with two still buried under debris in the hardest-hit Nagekeo regency. The 7.7-magnitude quake also caused landslides that blocked roads, complicating rescue efforts. Residents in Nagekeo, closest to the epicenter, fled to higher ground as the sea receded, a potential sign of an approaching tsunami. Although a tsunami warning was later lifted, authorities cautioned people against returning to damaged structures due to the risk of aftershocks, some measuring as strong as magnitude 6.1. Yohanes Babo, a Nagekeo resident, described the panic as the strong tremors hit early in the morning, forcing his family to evacuate to the hills. In Maumere, another resident, Lukas Lotar, recounted the earth shaking violently, causing people to flee a hospital and cracking some walls. The affected area primarily consists of towns and villages with few tall buildings.

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From the reports we have received, 20 people have died, six are injured, and two are still buried.