Buildings collapse, residents flee as powerful 7.7 earthquake hits Indonesia; 2 killed

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Flores island early Saturday, killing at least two people, damaging buildings and infrastructure, and triggering a tsunami warning, according to the country’s geophysics agency BMKG.

The earthquake struck at around 5:58 a.m. local time at a depth of about 10 kilometres, with the epicentre located roughly 68 km north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, the US Geological Survey said.

BMKG issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi, urging residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks. Coastal communities in Flores were advised to evacuate immediately to higher ground.

National disaster agency BNPB official Abdul Muhari urged residents along the northern and southern coasts of Flores and nearby islands to self-evacuate. Authorities advised people to move at least two kilometres inland or to elevated areas more than 10 metres above sea level while officials monitored coastal tide gauges.

Two killed as damage emerges

Disaster agency spokesman Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan confirmed that two people had died as the extent of the destruction became clearer.

“Once the data are confirmed, we will officially announce the final number of casualties and the extent of damage to buildings caused by the earthquake,” he told reporters in Jakarta.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show buildings collapsing as people fled to safety. However, the authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified. Initial reports indicated damage to houses and public infrastructure.

Seminary roof collapses

The earthquake also caused panic at St Peter Major Seminary, locally known as Ritapiret Seminary, in Sikka on Flores.

Students were attending morning Mass when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, forcing them and nuns to flee, seminary rector Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga said.

“Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,” Tanga was quoted as saying. At least one priest reportedly suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor during the quake.

Indonesia frequently experiences powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone marked by intense seismic and volcanic activity. The archipelago comprises more than 17,000 islands.