Indonesia quake kills at least 20 on Flores
A powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores region early on Saturday, killing at least 20 people, damaging buildings and triggering landslides as rescuers struggled to reach communities near the epicentre. Claims circulating that the toll had reached 38 could not be corroborated by the strongest available official and international reporting as casualty assessments continued.…
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia's Flores region early Saturday, resulting in at least 20 deaths and significant damage, according to initial reports. The shallow undersea quake, centered about 30 kilometers northeast of Nagekeo in East Nusa Tenggara, triggered landslides and prompted tsunami warnings. However, the tsunami threat subsided after monitoring showed the generated waves posed no major ongoing danger.
Rescue efforts were hampered by blocked roads and disrupted communications, complicating casualty and damage assessments. About 2,000 residents were evacuated in the affected area of Nagekeo, and damage was reported to houses, warehouses, and government facilities. The earthquake also caused power outages and significant traffic disruption.
Several districts experienced collapsed buildings, leading hospitals to move patients outdoors out of concern for aftershocks weakening structures. While the full extent of the disaster remains unclear, the initial casualty count may change as rescue teams reach harder-hit areas. Flores has faced destructive earthquakes before, including a magnitude-7.5 quake in 1992 that caused extensive destruction and a deadly tsunami.
Written by urgent.news from Arabian Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
