A strong magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit off the shores of Indonesia in the early hours of Saturday, causing damage to structures and homes and prompting a tsunami alert. Authorities advised individuals on the affected coastlines to relocate to higher ground.
According to the U.S Geological Survey, the earthquake struck the Flores region of Indonesia at a depth of 10 kilometers at 5:58 a.m. local time. The epicenter was situated 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende city in East Nusa Tenggara province.
Following the initial earthquake, several aftershocks were felt, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi provinces, advising residents to avoid beaches and riverbanks.
The agency pinpointed the shallow undersea earthquake near Flores island. Residents living along the affected coastlines were instructed to move to higher ground as officials monitored coastal tide gauges for any alterations.
The quake’s impact was felt across a significant portion of Flores island, with initial assessments indicating damage to homes and public infrastructures. However, official figures on the extent of the destruction or any casualties were not yet available.
Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka in East Nusa Tenggara province, reported that several buildings were harmed by the intense tremors, prompting people to flee to safer locations. She mentioned, “Many buildings here were damaged… I witnessed the collapse of the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere.”
At St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka, where students were attending morning Mass, panic ensued when the assembly hall’s roof collapsed, as recounted by the Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, the seminary’s rector. He stated, “Our students and nuns rushed out in fear as the roof collapsed. One priest sustained a leg injury while leaping from a building’s second floor during the quake.”
Indonesia, known for its vast archipelago comprising over 17,000 islands, is susceptible to seismic activities and volcanic eruptions due to its location within the Pacific Basin’s “Ring of Fire.” In a tragic event in December 1992, a magnitude 7 earthquake triggered a tsunami that claimed approximately 2,500 lives on the southeastern island of Flores within Indonesia’s eastern region.