At least 38 people have died after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia, triggering tsunami waves, landslides and widespread damage, officials said.
The Indonesia earthquake struck at 4:58am local time on Saturday at a depth of about 15 kilometres, according to the Indonesian geophysics agency BMKG. Several aftershocks followed the powerful tremor.
Authorities said 38 people had died, while two others suffered serious injuries and 11 sustained minor injuries. About 2,000 residents were evacuated to safer areas.
Rescue teams were still struggling to reach Nagekeo, the region closest to the epicentre, because landslides had blocked roads and communications had been affected.
Fathur Rahman, head of the rescue agency in the port town of Maumere, said rescuers had found 20 bodies, six injured people and two people trapped under rubble.
The governor of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, said at least five people died after buildings collapsed while they were sleeping.
“Residents remain trapped in several buildings in earthquake-affected areas,” said Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), adding that landslides had blocked several roads.
In Nagekeo, around 2,000 people were evacuated, while damage was reported to houses, warehouses and government facilities. Traffic congestion and power outages were also reported.
The earthquake caused strong shaking across East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi. Residents in several locations said the shaking lasted for about a minute.
“The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family,” Nona, a 51-year-old resident of Talibura, told Reuters. “There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves.”
A tsunami warning issued after the undersea earthquake was lifted about three hours later. Tsunami waves measuring less than one metre were recorded in several areas.
At a hospital in Ende, patients were moved outside as a precaution, while landslides were also reported in the area.
The earthquake struck a region within the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active zones. The same area was hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in 1992, which caused extensive destruction.
Australia’s tsunami warning centre said the earthquake posed no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.
