Five dead after 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia

What the report says

At least five people have died after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Flores island early on Saturday, according to the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, as reported by BBC World News. Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said the victims were killed in their sleep when rubble collapsed, while search and rescue teams worked to find anyone trapped in damaged buildings. The quake hit shortly before 05:00 local time at a depth of 15 km, and was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including one measured at magnitude 6.1.

Authorities briefly issued a tsunami warning after the offshore quake, then lifted it about three hours later. The national disaster mitigation agency advised residents to stay away from coastal areas and avoid buildings with visible structural damage. BBC’s report said about 2,000 people were evacuated in Nagekeo, and damage was reported to several buildings, including port facilities in Maumere.

The area affected is remote and mountainous, which means the full scale of damage may take time to assess. Video and eyewitness accounts described people moving inland after the tsunami alert and some coastal residents fleeing to higher ground as the sea appeared to recede. The earthquake matters because eastern Indonesia is prone to strong seismic activity, and even a short-lived tsunami warning can trigger large evacuations and complicate rescue efforts.