A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Flores Island at 5:58am local time on Saturday, August 15, 2026, killing two people, injuring another and prompting a tsunami warning for affected coastlines.
The United States Geological Survey said the epicentre was about 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, at a depth of 10 kilometres. Indonesia’s disaster agency said the deaths occurred at L Say Maumere port, where local footage showed extensive damage.
Authorities order residents away from the coast
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency urged people to stay away from beaches and riverbanks and move to higher ground. Abdul Muhari of the national disaster agency called for immediate self-evacuation in communities along the northern and southern coasts of Flores, the southern islands and the wider southern region.
Muhari told local broadcaster Kompas TV that residents should move more than two kilometres inland or to hilly areas higher than 10 metres.
Related coverage: Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto, Southern Japan, Prompting Tsunami Alert.
Aftershocks followed the main earthquake
Three aftershocks struck within half an hour, measuring magnitudes 5.9, 5.6 and 6.1. Local authorities said they were continuing to monitor the situation and assess the risk of further aftershocks in the following hours.
The USGS estimated that more than half a million people on Flores Island likely experienced very strong shaking, while several million more people across the wider region felt moderate to strong shaking.
Damage was concentrated around Maumere
Areas around the Maumere region sustained severe impact, including damage to buildings at the port. The national disaster agency identified the dead as a man and a woman and reported one additional injury.
More context: Voices from the quake: stories of survival and loss in southern Japan’s recent earthquake.
Australia’s tsunami warning centre said the earthquake posed no threat to mainland Australia, its islands or territories. Flores experienced a similarly powerful earthquake in December 1992, when the quake and resulting tsunami killed more than 2,500 people, according to the source material.
Also read: Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake Hits Kumamoto Prefecture, Triggering Fires and Structural Collapses.
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