Powerful earthquake sparks mass evacuations in Indonesia

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's eastern Flores island early on Saturday. The quake caused widespread damage, collapsed buildings and homes, and resulted in fatalities. According to France 24, at least 20 people were killed, while CBS News reported at least five fatalities. East Nusa Tenggara police chief Rudi Darmoko stated that preliminary reports indicated two fatalities in Sikka Regency and three in Manggarai Regency.

The earthquake prompted a tsunami warning, with authorities urging coastal residents to move to higher ground. However, the warning was later lifted when Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency found no significant sea-level changes that would pose a threat to coastal communities. Some reports mentioned tsunami waves of less than 1 metre in several areas.

Emergency crews are racing to reach affected communities, but landslides have blocked roads, and power outages in cities and villages have hampered the flow of information and complicated search and rescue efforts. Footage showed patients being evacuated from hospitals as a precaution, and hospital staff moving equipment outdoors.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, France 24, CBS News, SABC News, People Daily Kenya — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.