Indonesia quake toll jumps to 20 killed, says emergency official

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Flores Island in eastern Indonesia on Saturday, killing at least 20 people and causing widespread panic. Rescue official Fathur Rahman confirmed the death toll, adding that six people were injured and two were still trapped under rubble in the nearby Manggarai regency. The epicentre of the quake was located just off the north coast of the island, about 68km northwest of the coastal town of Ende.

As rescuers combed through debris for survivors, they were hampered by landslides that had cut off several roads. Residents in Nagekeo, the area closest to the epicentre, began evacuating to higher ground as the sea receded, a possible sign of an approaching tsunami. However, a tsunami warning was later lifted. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but the quake was felt as far away as 2,500km east of Jakarta.

The region is no stranger to deadly earthquakes, with a 7.7-magnitude tremor in 1992 causing around 2,500 deaths and a 9.1-magnitude quake in 2004 that triggered a tsunami killing 220,000 people throughout the region.