Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Strikes Indonesia, Killing Two as Tsunami Warning Issued
Authorities in East Nusa Tenggara confirm casualties and structural damage in Maumere, while regional monitoring centres rule out threat to Australian territory.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores Island early Saturday, resulting in two fatalities and prompting an immediate tsunami warning from national authorities. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the tremor occurred at 5:58am local time, with its epicentre located 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende in the East Nusa Tenggara province at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Indonesia’s national disaster agency, BNPB, confirmed that a man and a woman died at Maumere port, with a further individual sustaining injuries. Local media footage has documented extensive structural damage in the Maumere region, particularly around the port area. The agency’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued official warnings for affected coastlines, urging residents to avoid beaches and riverbanks.
BNPB official Abdul Muhari issued direct instructions for coastal communities to execute self-evacuation immediately. Speaking to Kompas TV, Muhari advised residents to move either more than two kilometres inland or into hilly areas situated more than 10 metres above sea level. The warning covers the northern coast of Flores, southern islands, and the broader southern region.
Three significant aftershocks were recorded within half an hour of the initial quake, measuring magnitudes 5.9, 5.6, and 6.1. USGS estimates indicate that over half a million people on Flores Island experienced very strong shaking, while several million others across the wider region felt moderate to strong tremors. Local authorities continue to monitor the situation for further seismic activity.
Australia’s tsunami warning centre confirmed that the earthquake posed no threat to Australian territory, its islands, or external territories. Indonesia, a nation of more than 270 million people spread across approximately 17,000 islands, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and remains one of the world’s most seismically active states. The region retains historical memory of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake and tsunami in December 1992, which killed more than 2,500 people on Flores.
