7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Eastern Indonesia

Published: 15 August 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, killing at least five people according to the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, damaging homes and public buildings and sending thousands of frightened residents fleeing towards higher ground. The shallow earthquake struck the Flores region before dawn, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted after authorities determined that there was no continuing threat to coastal communities.

The earthquake struck at 4.58am local time, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, known as BMKG. The agency recorded the quake at a depth of about 15 kilometres beneath the seabed in the Flores region. The relatively shallow depth contributed to intense shaking across parts of the island and neighbouring areas, with reports of damaged buildings, cracked walls and collapsed structures.

The epicentre was located off the northern coast of Flores island, about 68 kilometres northwest of the coastal town of Ende, according to Indonesian and US authorities. The earthquake was felt widely across Flores, where residents were abruptly awakened by the violent movement of buildings and the ground.

The governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, said five people had died after rubble fell on them while they were sleeping. However, Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, initially reported a different toll, saying one person had died and four others had been injured. Authorities were continuing to assess the scale of the damage and casualties as emergency teams moved into affected areas.

The conflicting early casualty figures reflected the difficulty of assessing the impact immediately after a major earthquake, particularly in communities spread across a large and mountainous island region. Rescue and assessment operations were continuing, and officials warned that the situation could change as more information became available from remote areas.

The earthquake also generated a series of aftershocks, adding to the anxiety among residents who had already fled their homes. One of the strongest aftershocks was measured at magnitude 6.1. Authorities urged residents to remain alert and follow instructions from emergency services, particularly in coastal areas where tsunami-related risks were being assessed.

A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the main earthquake, prompting residents in several communities to move towards higher ground. Tsunami waves measuring less than one metre were subsequently recorded in several areas. BMKG later lifted the warning after monitoring showed no significant changes in sea levels that would pose a continuing threat to coastal populations.

The warning nevertheless caused widespread alarm in communities along the Flores coastline. Residents in Nagekeo regency, the area closest to the epicentre, immediately began moving away from low-lying areas. Many people headed towards hills and other elevated locations, carrying children and essential belongings as they tried to escape what they feared could become a larger disaster.

Lukas Lotar, a 31-year-old hospital customer service official, described the moment the earthquake struck as chaotic. He said the shaking began suddenly and caused widespread panic inside the hospital. Patients fled the building, while cracks appeared in some of its walls.

The experience was particularly frightening for residents who had already been reminded of Indonesia’s vulnerability to earthquakes and tsunamis. The country sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active geological zones, where several tectonic plates meet and produce frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In Nagekeo, resident Yohanes Babo said he was at a market when the earthquake struck. Because he and others were already outside, they avoided being trapped inside buildings as the shaking intensified.

He said people were running in different directions in panic before beginning to evacuate towards the hills. His own family was safe and nobody close to him had been injured, but the widespread fear reflected the uncertainty that followed the earthquake.

Damage was also reported in Sikka regency, where residents described significant structural destruction. Yohanna Embu, a resident of the area, said several buildings had been damaged by the powerful shaking. She reported that people ran towards higher ground after the earthquake and said the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed.

Maumere, the main town of Sikka Regency on Flores, was among the locations where the earthquake caused visible destruction. Video footage verified as being recorded at a port in Maumere showed part of a building collapsing into dust and rubble as people screamed and ran into the street. The footage illustrated the suddenness of the disaster and the danger posed by weakened structures.

Images broadcast on Indonesian television showed large numbers of people evacuating from parts of Nagekeo regency. Rubble from damaged buildings could be seen in areas where residents gathered outside for safety. Other images showed houses damaged by the strong shaking in Ruteng, in the Manggarai area of East Nusa Tenggara.

The earthquake struck a region where many houses and buildings may be particularly vulnerable to strong ground movement. The combination of a shallow earthquake, intense shaking and densely occupied communities increased the risk of structural damage and injuries.

Emergency authorities were expected to continue surveying affected areas, searching damaged buildings and assessing infrastructure including roads, homes, public facilities and ports. The presence of aftershocks also complicated rescue and recovery efforts because residents and emergency workers faced the possibility of further structural collapses.

For many residents, the immediate priority remained finding safe shelter and staying away from damaged buildings. Authorities were also expected to monitor coastal conditions closely following the lifting of the tsunami warning, while continuing to track aftershocks generated by the main earthquake.

Indonesia is one of the countries most exposed to natural disasters because of its location along major tectonic boundaries. Its enormous archipelago stretches across a complex network of fault lines and volcanic zones, making earthquakes a recurring threat. The country has experienced several devastating earthquakes and tsunamis over the past decades, including the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.

The Flores region itself has a history of destructive seismic activity. Communities across the island and surrounding islands have repeatedly faced earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and tsunami risks. Saturday’s earthquake again demonstrated how quickly a major geological event can disrupt daily life, force mass evacuations and damage critical infrastructure.

As daylight spread across the affected areas, authorities continued to gather information about casualties and destruction. The final impact was expected to become clearer as emergency teams reached more communities and inspected damaged structures.

For residents who had fled towards higher ground, the lifting of the tsunami warning brought some relief, but the continuing aftershocks meant that fear remained high. Officials urged people to remain cautious and to rely on information from authorised agencies rather than unverified reports circulating online.

The earthquake left communities across eastern Indonesia facing the difficult task of assessing damage, supporting injured residents and determining whether damaged homes and public buildings remained safe. With further aftershocks possible, emergency officials continued to focus on rescue operations, public safety and monitoring coastal conditions.

The disaster once again highlighted Indonesia’s exposure to powerful earthquakes because of its position along the Pacific Ring of Fire. For the people of Flores, the immediate challenge was to remain safe, account for loved ones and begin recovering from a powerful earthquake that struck without warning in the early hours of Saturday morning.