OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
10:30 AM – Saturday, August 15, 2026
At least 47 people were killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores Island, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Agency, known as BNPB.
Early on Saturday, the earthquake struck near the coast of East Nusa Tenggara province, triggering landslides, damaging buildings and prompting a tsunami warning that has since been lifted.
In addition to the 47 people killed, rescue official Fathur Rahman said 50 people were injured.
Fathur told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the focus of rescue personnel moved to locating victims who may have been buried under rubble, though landslides and road blockages had complicated their efforts.
Although a tsunami warning was lifted, authorities urged hundreds of residents of Nagekeo, an area close to the epicenter, to remain on higher ground where they had retreated for fear that aftershocks could cause damaged buildings to fall.
Nagekeo resident Yohanes Babo, 56, said he was at a market when the ground began shaking on Saturday.
“The shaking was strong. Thankfully, we were already outside the house,” he told AFP. “People were panicking, running here and there. We’re evacuating for the time being … and trying to get to the hills.”
People were seen evacuating by car, by motorcycle and on foot, with some riding in the backs of pickup trucks. Patients could be seen on local television evacuating from hospitals as a precaution. Healthcare workers moved beds, IV stands and oxygen tanks to streets for temporary treatment areas.
About 2,000 people in Nagekeo evacuated. The BNBP said damage to houses, warehouses and government facilities was reported.
The police chief of East Nusa Tenggara province, Rudi Darmoko, said the earthquake caused power cuts, making communication between cities and villages difficult, as well.
“We are continuing to collect reports of damage and casualties, but there are communication disruptions,” he said.
Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes because of its location in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” which stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia.
Flores was last struck by an earthquake of the same magnitude in 1992. This led to a tsunami that resulted in a death toll of about 2,500.
About 12 hours after the first quake, another earthquake with a 6.9 magnitude hit North Sumatra, though there were no initial reports of casualties or damage.
Magnitude 6.0 to 6.9 earthquakes are strong and can cause moderate damage in populated areas. Magnitude 7.0 to 7.9 earthquakes are considered major earthquakes and can cause significant damage to most buildings.
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