A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake and dozens of aftershocks have struck eastern Indonesia, killing at least 20 people and damaging buildings across East Nusa Tenggara.
The shallow quake hit near the island of Flores shortly before 5am on Saturday at a depth of about 15km, with authorities initially reporting that several victims were killed in their sleep when buildings collapsed.
Search and rescue teams are working through damaged structures for possible survivors as officials assess the scale of destruction across the remote and mountainous region. A strong 6.1-magnitude aftershock was among dozens recorded following the initial quake.
At Maumere port, sections of a terminal building reportedly broke apart and fell near passengers, while the collapse of a ferry gangway threw some people into the sea.
🇮🇩 You’re watching an entire building shake at the Maumere port, in Indonesia.
The footage is wild and hard to look away from.
Writer: Lucaspic.twitter.com/54XRX3yU9c
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 15, 2026
A tsunami warning prompted residents in coastal communities to flee inland and seek higher ground after the sea was seen receding, while waves of less than one metre were subsequently recorded in several areas.
The warning was lifted about three hours later. Around 2,000 people were evacuated in Nagekeo, while disaster authorities urged residents to remain away from the coast and avoid buildings showing cracks or structural damage as aftershocks continued.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude undersea earthquake struck off the northern coast of Indonesia’s Flores Island, triggering tsunami warnings across several coastal provinces. Indonesian meteorological agencies urged residents in impacted areas to evacuate immediately to higher ground and… pic.twitter.com/lcbLMBfpfy
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 15, 2026
🚨 7.7-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HITS INDONESIA 🇮🇩
A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Ternate, causing panic and evacuations. Authorities are assessing possible damage and casualties.#Indonesia #Earthquake #BreakingNews #Ternate pic.twitter.com/WdP3JgvAGF
— Mahrosh Pervaiz (@MahroshPervaiz1) August 14, 2026
BREAKING : Volcano Mount Ibu erupted with a 5 km ash plume over Halmahera. Shortly after, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake rocked Flores, activating tsunami alerts. Indonesia, pic.twitter.com/8Edq1DWa06
— World Updates (@Updatesofwworld) August 14, 2026
