Powerful 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Indonesia, Killing 20 and Triggering Mass Evacuations

Rescuers searched through collapsed buildings and debris on Saturday for survivors after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s eastern Flores island, killing at least 20 people and forcing thousands to evacuate.

Rescue official Fathur Rahman said at least 20 people had died across four towns, while six others were injured and two remained trapped under rubble. The hardest-hit area was Nagekeo, where rescue operations were hampered by landslides that blocked several roads.

Two people were also reported trapped alive beneath debris in neighbouring Manggarai regency. Authorities said rescuers were prioritising those still buried.

Residents near the epicentre rushed to higher ground after the sea temporarily retreated, raising fears of a tsunami. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a tsunami warning, which was later lifted, but urged people to stay away from damaged buildings due to the risk of aftershocks.

Dozens of aftershocks have been recorded, with the strongest reaching magnitude 6.1.

Residents described scenes of panic as buildings shook violently. In Maumere, hospital patients reportedly fled after walls developed cracks, while large crowds evacuated on foot, motorcycles and vehicles, with many heading towards higher ground.

The earthquake struck offshore, about 68 kilometres northwest of the coastal town of Ende, according to US and Indonesian authorities. The full extent of the damage remains under assessment.

Indonesia is highly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Flores suffered a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1992 that triggered a tsunami and killed around 2,500 people.

The country has also endured several other catastrophic earthquakes, including the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami, which killed around 220,000 people across the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia. In 2018, major earthquakes and a tsunami in Lombok and Sulawesi killed thousands more.