Indonesian residents flee 7.7 magnitude earthquake

Witnesses recount scenes of intense ground shaking and falling objects during a 7.7 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia's Flores Island.

At least 38 people have died after a powerful 7,7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Flores Island on the morning of 15/8, triggering widespread panic and destruction. The tremor, with an epicenter 10 km deep off the northern coast of Flores and about 68 km from Ende town in East Nusa Tenggara province, was confirmed by both the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Suharyanto, head of the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), announced the casualty count this afternoon. Rescue forces are racing against time to find survivors amid challenging conditions, including landslides that have cut off vital roads.

The earthquake caused immediate chaos and fear across the affected regions. In the Nagekeo area near the epicenter, residents rushed to higher ground upon seeing the sea recede rapidly, a potential sign of an impending tsunami. While the BMKG recorded tsunamis under one meter high in several eastern Indonesian areas, no additional damage from the waves was reported.

Residents seek safe shelter in Talibura village, Sikka district, East Nusa Tenggara province, following the earthquake on 15/8. Photo: AFP

Residents seek safe shelter in Talibura village, Sikka district, East Nusa Tenggara province, following the earthquake on 15/8. Photo: AFP

Yulian Juita Ekalia, a university lecturer in Ruteng city, about 100 km from the epicenter, described the experience as unprecedented. "I have never experienced such a powerful earthquake," she recalled, likening the sensation to "standing on a trampoline; it was truly terrifying." As she rushed outside, her home's contents, including the television, her son's commemorative trophy, the dish rack, and suitcases on top of the wardrobe, crashed to the floor. Her son and neighbors were already outside, crying out in fear.

Yulian later moved her kitchen outdoors to cook, fearing aftershocks, and observed patients from a nearby hospital receiving treatment in makeshift tents. She expressed relief that the earthquake occurred on a weekend morning, stating, "I cannot imagine what would have happened if students and lecturers had been in class" given the severe damage to her university.

Other residents shared similar accounts of panic. Yohanes Babo, 56, was at the market when the ground violently shook. "The shaking was very strong. Fortunately, we were outside our homes. People panicked and fled everywhere. We are evacuating and trying to move to higher ground," he stated. The panic extended to medical facilities, where Lukas Lotar, a staff member at a hospital in Maumere town, reported many patients ran out on their own. He observed several cracked walls, indicating the force of the tremors.

Rescue teams search for victims in the rubble in Maumere town, East Nusa Tenggara province, on 15/8. Photo: AFP

Rescue teams search for victims in the rubble in Maumere town, East Nusa Tenggara province, on 15/8. Photo: AFP

Fathur Rahman, a rescue official, stated that 6 people were injured and at least two were confirmed alive but trapped under rubble. Local authorities continue to urge residents not to return to damaged buildings, as Flores Island has endured dozens of aftershocks, the strongest reaching 6,1 magnitude, posing ongoing risks.

Indonesia is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region with intense seismic and volcanic activity, making it prone to frequent disasters. This latest event echoes past tragedies in the archipelago. In 1992, Flores Island was devastated by a 7,7 magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami, killing approximately 2.500 people. A more horrific disaster struck in 2004, when a 9,1 magnitude earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that claimed the lives of 220.000 people around the Indian Ocean region, including 170.000 Indonesians. More recently, powerful earthquakes on Lombok and Sulawesi islands in 2018 also resulted in thousands of deaths and disappearances.