Indonesia rocked by 3 major quakes and over 230 aftershocks in 24 hours

Maumere, Indonesia - Rescue teams searched through rubble for survivors following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Flores island off eastern Indonesia on Saturday, leaving at least 40 dead and 50 injured. A second quake, measuring 6.9, struck near Pematangsiantar on Sumatra island later that day, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Rescue official Fathur Rahman said the death toll had risen to 40 by Saturday evening, with 50 people injured. Suharyanto, head of Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency, said buildings were damaged when the quake hit the popular tourist island. About 2,000 people had evacuated the area. Yulian Juita Ekalia, a resident of Ruteng city, described the quake as feeling like being on a trampoline.

Rescue efforts were complicated by landslides blocking roads. A tsunami warning was lifted after waves of up to 1.6m were measured in some coastal regions. The epicentre of the shallow quake was located off the north coast of Flores island. The 1992 earthquake in Flores resulted in around 2,500 deaths, while a 9.1-magnitude quake in 2004 off Sumatra killed 220,000 people.

Meanwhile, Spain's Granada experienced a 5.0-magnitude earthquake on Saturday, causing minor damage but no casualties.