7.7-magnitude quake sparks mass evacuation in Indonesia, tsunami warning lifted

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Flores island in eastern Indonesia on Saturday morning, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate in a state of panic. The tremor's epicenter was located approximately 68km northwest of Ende, a coastal town on the island. The initial shock was followed by strong aftershocks, including one measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale.

As the sea receded, residents in Nagekeo regency, the area closest to the epicenter, fled to higher ground, perceiving it as a possible tsunami warning. Lukas Lotar, a 31-year-old hospital customer service official in Maumere, reported that the shaking was intense and that he saw cracked walls during the quake.

The Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) warned of the potential for tsunami waves and urged people to evacuate to higher ground. Abdul Muhari, an official at the National Disaster Agency (BNPB), emphasized the importance of self-evacuation for those living along the northern coast of Flores and in the southern parts of the island and its surrounding regions.

BMKG director Wijayanto stated that tsunami modeling indicated a possible risk of waves between 0.5 meters to three meters in the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara. However, the tsunami warning was later lifted.

Currently, there are no reported casualties, although tsunami waves of 19 to 30 centimeters have been detected. Indonesia and its neighboring countries are prone to frequent earthquakes due to their location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for intense seismic activity. Notable past earthquakes include a devastating 9.1-magnitude tremor in 2004 that triggered a tsunami, killing over 220,000 people in Indonesia and neighboring countries.

In 2018, a powerful quake struck Lombok, followed by several aftershocks, resulting in more than 550 deaths and injuries.