At least 47 dead after 7.7-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Flores Island early Saturday, killing at least 47 people, injuring dozens, and triggering landslides that cut off access to some of the hardest-hit areas.

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) confirmed the rising toll on Saturday evening, with the death count climbing throughout the day as rescue teams reached remote communities across East Nusa Tenggara province. Around 2,000 residents evacuated to higher ground after authorities issued a tsunami warning, which was lifted roughly three hours later when no dangerous sea-level changes were detected.nytimes+3

Devastation Across Multiple Provinces

The earthquake struck at 5:58 a.m. local time at a depth of 15 kilometers, with its epicenter located 68 kilometers north-northwest of the city of Ende. Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena told reporters that at least five people were killed in their sleep by collapsing rubble.theedgemalaysia+1

Rescuers in the port town of Maumere recovered 20 bodies across the regencies of Sikka, West Manggarai, and East Manggarai, including eight pulled from a landslide in the village of Reok. Preliminary reports indicated 54 houses severely damaged, along with five healthcare facilities, three places of worship, six government buildings, and a warehouse.bbc+1

Video verified by Reuters showed large chunks of concrete breaking off a terminal building at the port in Maumere onto passengers waiting to board an inter-island ferry, with some thrown into the sea when a gangway collapsed.theedgemalaysia+1

Rescue Hampered by Terrain and Communication Failures

Search teams had yet to reach Nagekeo, the regency closest to the epicenter, where landslides blocked road access and communication signals were disrupted. The Trans-Flores highway, a roughly 435-mile mountain road spanning the island, was severed by landslides in Ende regency.cbsnews+1

BNPB deployed a helicopter to assist with logistics and evacuations, calling air support crucial given the province's geography of numerous islands. Power outages across cities and villages further complicated rescue efforts.cbsnews

A second earthquake, measured at magnitude 6.4 by Indonesia's geophysics agency BMKG, struck western Sumatra later Saturday at a depth of 163 kilometers but caused no reported casualties.abc+1

"I have never felt an earthquake this big," said Yulian Juita Ekalia, a university lecturer from Ruteng. "It felt like we were on a trampoline — it was really scary."bbc