A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake has killed at least 47 people in Indonesia, injured dozens more and sent thousands of terrified residents fleeing their homes on the island of Flores.
The earthquake struck shortly after 6 a.m. on Saturday off the coast of East Nusa Tenggara province, around 68 kilometres northwest of Ende, according to the US Geological Survey.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, said at least 50 people had been injured and around 2,000 residents were evacuated following the disaster.
A tsunami warning was issued after the earthquake but was later cancelled. Waves measuring up to 1 metre were recorded in Maurole, near Ende.
The powerful tremor caused widespread damage, with hospitals, schools, government buildings and more than 50 homes affected.
Videos circulating online showed buildings collapsing and residents running into the streets as thick clouds of dust rose from damaged structures.
‘The strongest earthquake I have ever experienced’
Residents described scenes of panic as the earthquake struck.
Theresia Uta, 52, was having breakfast in Maumere when the ground began violently shaking.
She said she ran outside and held onto a tree for about 10 minutes until the tremors stopped.
According to Uta, she had experienced several earthquakes on Flores before, but none compared with the intensity and duration of Saturday’s quake.
She later attempted to leave the area by car but found several roads blocked by landslides.
At St Peter Major Seminary in Sikka, students were attending morning Mass when part of an assembly hall collapsed.
The seminary’s rector, Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, said students and nuns ran for safety as the roof came down. One priest reportedly broke his leg after jumping from the second floor of a building.
In Talibura, a resident identified as Nona said 13 members of her family were inside their home when the earthquake struck.
The family rushed outside as the building shook violently.
A 16-year-old resident, Yoan Rinto, said he was asleep when the earthquake woke him. He immediately ran towards higher ground and said he remained frightened after the shaking stopped.
Rescue operation underway
Authorities evacuated about 2,000 people from Nagekeo regency as a precaution.
BNPB has sent emergency response personnel and a helicopter to assist with rescue operations and assess the damage.
The difficult terrain could complicate the response, with Flores made up of mountainous areas and scattered communities.
Search and rescue workers have been digging through rubble in damaged areas as they search for possible survivors.
Indonesia is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. It sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast zone responsible for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions around the Pacific Ocean.
The country has a history of catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis. In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off Sumatra, triggering the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people across the region.
More recently, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Lombok in 2018, killing hundreds, while a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami later struck Sulawesi, causing further deaths and destruction.
Another magnitude 6.9 earthquake was reported in northern Sumatra just hours after Saturday’s Flores earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.
Emergency authorities are continuing to assess the damage and reach communities affected by the disaster.