A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Indonesia on Saturday, August 15, killing at least 47 people and causing widespread destruction across Flores Island, officials said.
As per the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located 42 miles north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency reported at least 235 aftershocks, the largest registering magnitude 6.2.
Initially, authorities issued a tsunami warning, urging coastal residents to move to higher ground. The warning was later lifted after monitoring showed no major sea-level changes.
As reported by the National Disaster Management Agency confirmed that at least 47 bodies have been recovered, mostly in Sikka, Manggarai, and East Manggarai regencies. At least 50 people have been reported injured and hospitalised. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams struggle to reach remote villages blocked by landslides and damaged roads.
The quake destroyed at least 157 homes and damaged nearly 200 others, displacing around 2,000 villagers who have taken shelter in temporary camps. Public infrastructure suffered heavy damage, including 87 schools, 18 health facilities, and several places of worship. Power outages across the region have hampered communication and slowed rescue operations.
2026-08-16 00:32:00
