A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck near Flores Island in Indonesia on Saturday, killing at least 20 people and leaving rescuers searching for survivors amid the rubble.
The quake hit at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) shortly before 5am local time (11pm UK time), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor struck off the coast of Flores Island, a tourist destination east of Bali known for its scenic landscapes.
Rescue efforts underway
Rescue official Fathur Rahman told AFP that the confirmed dead came from four different towns on the island. “Our focus will be on locating the victims who are buried under the rubble,” he said, noting that landslides had complicated the rescue effort by cutting off roads.
Fathur Rahman, head of the city's rescue agency, said rescuers around the port town of Maumere found 20 dead, six injured, and two trapped under the rubble. Officials said the death toll is expected to climb as emergency teams work through the aftermath.
Tsunami warning lifted
Following the quake, Indonesia's Weather, Climate, and Earthquake Information office (BMKG) issued an early tsunami warning, which has since been lifted. The agency had urged residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks. Australia's tsunami warning centre said the quake would have "no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories".
Impact and aftershocks
The initial tremor was followed by two aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.9 and 5.6. Preliminary reports indicated two people died in Sikka Regency and three in Manggarai Regency. The five died from collapsing rubble as they slept, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena told reporters.
Indonesia's national disaster agency, BNPB, said in a press statement that a man and a woman died at the Maumere port, with one other person injured. The quake's magnitude was initially recorded at 6.9 before being upgraded by the EMSC.
More than half a million people on Flores Island are likely to have experienced very strong shaking, according to USGS estimates, with moderate to strong shaking possibly felt by several million more across the region. Photographs showed crumbled walls and damaged buildings, including a hotel in Ruteng. People fled their homes to seek safety following the earthquake.
Indonesia, with a population of more than 270 million across roughly 17,000 islands, is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
