Powerful 7.7 quake strikes off Indonesia, killing 38 and triggering evacuations

Rescuers searched through debris for survivors on Saturday after a powerful earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia, killing at least 38 people and sending thousands fleeing to higher ground.

Rescue official Fathur Rahman said that 38 people had died, six were injured and two remained trapped across four towns on the island.

Rescue efforts hampered by landslides

Two people were reportedly trapped alive under rubble in neighbouring Manggarai regency after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

“Our focus will be on locating the victims who are buried under the rubble,” Fathur said, adding that landslides had blocked several roads and complicated rescue operations.

The full extent of the damage was still being assessed.

Residents flee to higher ground

Residents in Nagekeo, the area closest to the epicentre, rushed to higher ground after the sea retreated earlier on Saturday, raising fears of a possible tsunami.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) later lifted the tsunami warning but advised people not to return to damaged buildings because aftershocks could cause further collapses.

Dozens of aftershocks have been recorded, with the strongest measuring 6.1 magnitude.

Buildings damaged, patients flee hospital

Yohanes Babo, 56, a resident of Nagekeo, said he was at a market when the earthquake struck in the early morning.

“The shaking was strong. Thankfully, we were already outside the house,” he told AFP.

In Maumere, resident Lukas Lotar said patients fled a hospital as the earthquake struck.

“Patients also fled the hospital, the jolt was big. I saw some walls were cracked,” he said.

The affected area is largely made up of towns and villages with few high-rise buildings.

Tsunami warning lifted

BMKG initially warned of possible tsunami waves and urged residents to move to higher ground.

Long queues of people were seen leaving towns on foot, by motorbike and by car, with some travelling in the back of pickup trucks.

“We have ended (the tsunami warning) but we will keep monitoring the sea level,” BMKG earthquake and tsunami director Wijayanto said.

Flores has suffered deadly earthquakes before

Indonesia and neighbouring countries experience frequent earthquakes because they lie along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of intense seismic activity.

Flores was struck by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1992, which triggered a tsunami and killed around 2,500 people.

Indonesia was also among the countries worst hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which killed around 220,000 people across the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.

Indonesia’s earthquake risk

Indonesia is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area marked by numerous fault lines and volcanoes.

Flores has previously suffered deadly earthquakes and tsunamis. In December 1992, a powerful earthquake and tsunami killed about 2,500 people on the island.