A strong 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit waters off eastern Indonesia on Saturday, claiming at least 38 lives and producing numerous aftershocks, officials reported. Rescue crews in the port town of Maumere retrieved 20 bodies, while six people suffered injuries and two remained trapped under debris, said Fathur Rahman, head of the local rescue agency.
Maumere serves as the main settlement of Sikka Regency on Flores Island in eastern Indonesia.
Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, noted that residents were still thought to be trapped in several structures in affected zones, and landslides had blocked roads, slowing rescue operations. “Victims are trapped in several buildings. These will be the initial targets of the disaster response teams,” he said. Tsunami waves under one metre were observed in parts of the country after the early tremor, and the warning was lifted roughly three hours later.
About 2,000 residents left their homes for safer places. In Nagekeo, the same number of people were moved, with homes, warehouses and government buildings damaged, along with power outages and traffic issues.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena stated that at least five people died when buildings collapsed while they slept. Video from a Maumere port showed part of a structure falling, prompting people to flee. A local resident described intense shaking that forced 13 family members to rush outside. Another witness farther from the epicentre compared the motion to a trampoline.
Footage showed a hospital moving patients outside, and at least one landslide occurred in the region. The meteorological agency recorded 52 aftershocks ranging from 3.6 to 6.2 in magnitude.
