(VIDEO) Powerful 7.7 Magnitude Quake Hits Indonesia Killing at Least Five as Rescuers Search Ruins

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Flores Island early Saturday, killing at least five people and damaging buildings across East Nusa Tenggara province as aftershocks continued and rescue teams searched for survivors.

The governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, told a press conference that the five victims died in their sleep when rubble collapsed on them. Local search and rescue officials later reported a higher toll. Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Agency, said rescuers had recovered 20 bodies in the affected regencies of Sikka, West Manggarai and East Manggarai, with six people injured and two still believed trapped under debris or landslide material.

The United States Geological Survey located the epicenter about 68 kilometers (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency recorded the main shock shortly before 6 a.m. local time at a depth of 15 kilometers. Multiple aftershocks followed, including one measuring magnitude 6.1.

Authorities issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi shortly after the quake. The warning was lifted about three hours later after monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that posed a threat. Waves of less than 1 meter were recorded in some locations.

The shallow quake caused strong shaking across Flores, a mountainous island in eastern Indonesia. Video verified from the port in Maumere showed concrete falling from a terminal building onto waiting passengers. In Labuan Bajo and other towns, residents fled homes and hotels. About 2,000 people in Nagekeo regency, near the epicenter, evacuated to safer ground. Power outages and damaged roads, including some cut by landslides, complicated communications and access for emergency teams.

National disaster mitigation agency BNPB said preliminary assessments showed damage to homes, warehouses, government facilities, health centers and places of worship. Search and rescue teams focused on collapsed structures and areas affected by landslides. In one village in Manggarai, eight bodies were recovered from landslide debris.

At St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka, students and nuns fled during morning Mass when the roof of an assembly hall partially collapsed. "Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof," the seminary's rector, the Reverend Guidelbertus Tanga, said. At least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from a second-floor building.

East Nusa Tenggara police chief Rudi Darmoko said power outages in cities and villages had hampered the flow of information. "We are continuing to collect reports of damages and casualties, but there are communication disruptions," he said.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates meet and generate frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The Flores region experienced a destructive magnitude 7.5 earthquake in 1992 that caused widespread damage and a tsunami. Officials noted the latest event was linked to the Flores back-arc thrust fault, which has potential for large quakes.

Rescue operations continued through the day as teams worked to free anyone still trapped and to assess the full extent of damage. Hospitals treated the injured, and patients at some facilities were moved outdoors as a precaution. Authorities urged residents to stay away from damaged buildings and to remain alert for aftershocks.

The death toll remained fluid as verification of reports from remote areas continued. National and provincial agencies said they were still compiling confirmed figures. In the meantime, emergency workers prioritized locating survivors under rubble and providing assistance to those displaced by the shaking and subsequent aftershocks.

Flores and surrounding islands are popular with tourists, though the hardest-hit areas were more inland and less visited. Damage was reported at ports and along coastal zones that initially came under the tsunami alert. Australian authorities confirmed no tsunami threat to their mainland or territories.

As night fell on Saturday, search efforts were expected to continue with the aid of heavy equipment where roads allowed access. Officials stressed the need for accurate casualty and damage data before determining the scale of national assistance required. Residents in the affected regencies faced ongoing aftershocks while assessing the condition of their homes and preparing for possible further evacuations if conditions worsened.

The earthquake underscored the persistent seismic risks facing eastern Indonesia. Local governments activated emergency response protocols, and national agencies coordinated the deployment of additional teams and supplies. Further updates on the confirmed death toll, injuries and infrastructure damage were expected as communications improved and field assessments advanced.