Climate & Environment
Magnitude 7.7 earthquake kills at least 40 in Indonesia's Flores region
The shallow earthquake toppled buildings and triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted, while authorities warned that casualty figures remained preliminary.
Executive summary
- The toll: At least 40 people were killed and dozens were injured after the earthquake struck early Saturday, according to authorities cited by The Associated Press; the count remained preliminary as assessments continued.The Associated Press
- The earthquake: The U.S. Geological Survey reviewed the event at magnitude 7.7, at a depth of 10 kilometers and 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province.U.S. Geological Survey event page
- The warning: A tsunami warning prompted coastal evacuations before Indonesia's meteorological agency lifted it after monitoring found no significant sea-level threat to coastal communities.The Associated Press
- What follows: Aftershocks continued across the Flores region, complicating inspections and keeping residents alert while rescue teams worked through damaged areas.The Associated PressIndonesia Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics real-time earthquake feed
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia's Flores region early Saturday, killing at least 40 people, injuring dozens and collapsing buildings as emergency teams began searching damaged communities. Authorities told The Associated Press that the toll was preliminary while crews continued to assess areas affected by the shaking and landslides.The Associated Press
The U.S. Geological Survey placed the epicenter 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province and measured the earthquake at a depth of 10 kilometers. The agency listed the event as reviewed, indicating that seismologists had evaluated the initial automatic estimate.U.S. Geological Survey event page
The earthquake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time, when many residents were indoors. The Associated Press reported collapsed buildings and panic across the region, with landslides adding to the danger and potentially slowing access to affected communities.The Associated Press
Indonesian authorities initially issued a tsunami warning and urged people along the coast to move to higher ground. The warning was later lifted after the country's meteorological agency said its monitoring did not show sea-level changes that posed a significant threat to coastal communities.The Associated Press
Strong aftershocks followed. The Associated Press said Indonesia's meteorological agency had counted 235 by Saturday afternoon, including one as strong as magnitude 6.2, while BMKG's live earthquake feed continued to record repeated events in the Flores region. Those entries document an active sequence, but they do not by themselves measure new damage.The Associated PressIndonesia Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics real-time earthquake feed
The confirmed human impact may change as rescue teams reach harder-hit areas and local governments consolidate reports. The current figure should therefore be read as a minimum reported toll, not a final accounting; Wrivid will update this report if authorities release a materially different verified count.The Associated Press