A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday, August 15, damaging buildings and generating tsunami waves before authorities lifted an earlier tsunami warning.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the shallow earthquake struck at 4:58 a.m. Western Indonesian Time, equivalent to 5:58 a.m. in the Flores region. The agency placed the epicenter in the sea about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northeast of Mbay in Nagekeo, East Nusa Tenggara, at a depth of 15 kilometers.
The earthquake was strongly felt across parts of Flores, sending residents outside and prompting people in coastal areas to move to higher ground.
Initial reports indicated damage to homes and public buildings, although authorities had not announced a comprehensive damage assessment or confirmed any casualties in the immediate aftermath. The Associated Press reported that the waiting area at the Pelni port terminal in Maumere was among the structures damaged.
Tsunami waves detected after Indonesia earthquake
BMKG issued a tsunami warning shortly after the earthquake for coastal areas in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi.
The warning was not only precautionary. Tide gauges subsequently detected tsunami waves at several locations.
The largest reported wave reached 0.94 meters, or just over three feet, at Maurole in Ende. BMKG also recorded a 0.54-meter wave at Bulukumba, 0.38 meters at Kewapante Port in Sikka and 0.36 meters at Labuan Bajo. Smaller changes in sea level were detected at several other monitoring stations.
After monitoring sea levels, BMKG declared that the tsunami threat had ended. The agency continued to advise residents to follow instructions from disaster authorities and remain cautious following the powerful quake.
Several aftershocks were recorded after the main earthquake, according to initial reports.
Buildings damaged as residents flee
The earthquake caused intense shaking across parts of Flores. BMKG estimated shaking at intensity VII on the Modified Mercalli scale in areas including Aesesa, Riung and Mbay, a level capable of causing light damage even to well-constructed buildings.
Residents reported rushing outside as buildings shook, while people near the coast headed toward higher ground after the tsunami warning was issued.
The US Geological Survey placed the earthquake at a depth of about 10 kilometers and gave a somewhat different epicenter estimate, roughly 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende. Differences in preliminary earthquake locations and depths between monitoring agencies are common as seismic data are analyzed and updated.
Flores has a history of destructive earthquakes
Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes because it lies along the tectonically active Pacific Ring of Fire, where several major plates meet.
Flores itself has experienced devastating seismic events. In December 1992, a magnitude 7 earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck the island, killing about 2,500 people.
Authorities were continuing to assess the effects of Saturday’s earthquake, including damage to buildings and infrastructure. No final figures for casualties, injuries or displaced residents had been released in the initial official information.
The Indonesia earthquake came just days after a separate magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, adding to a series of major seismic events reported around the world.
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