Two killed as magnitude 7.7 quake hits Indonesia; tsunami warning issued

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores Island early Saturday, killing two people and prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The quake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located about 68 kilometers (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the depth at 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Local media footage revealed extensive damage to buildings, particularly at the L Say Maumere port, where a man and a woman died. Another person was injured. Indonesia’s national disaster agency, BNPB, urged communities along the northern coast of Flores and in southern regions to evacuate immediately to higher ground or at least two kilometers inland. Australia’s tsunami warning center confirmed the quake posed no threat to its mainland.

“

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.

USGS estimates suggest over half a million people on Flores Island likely experienced very strong shaking. Local authorities are monitoring the situation for further aftershocks. Indonesia, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is highly prone to seismic activity. The same coastline was devastated by a quake and tsunami in December 1992 that killed more than 2,500 people on Flores.

“

move away from the shore, either by going more than two kilometers inland or by moving up into hilly areas more than 10 metres [33ft] high.