A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Flores island early Saturday morning, August 15, damaging buildings and shocking residents awake as they fled their homes in panic. At least one person was killed, according to Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, which revised down an earlier death toll of two.
Where and When It Struck
The earthquake hit around 6 a.m. local time, roughly 68 kilometers northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and was followed by a series of aftershocks. Indonesia's national geophysics agency initially issued a tsunami warning, urging residents to seek higher ground and stay away from beaches, riverbanks, and coastlines — the warning was later lifted. The USGS estimated that roughly 500,000 people were exposed to very strong or severe shaking, a level capable of causing slight to moderate damage in well-built structures and serious damage in poorly built ones.
Panic at a Seminary as a Roof Collapses
Among the most dramatic accounts to emerge was from the Roman Catholic St. Peter Major Seminary in the coastal village of Sikka, where students were attending morning Mass when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed. "Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof," said the seminary's rector, Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, according to the Associated Press. He added that at least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building during the quake.
Residents Describe a "Massive" Shock
Nona, a 51-year-old resident of the town of Talibura, described the terrifying moments as her family rushed out of their home. "The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family. There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves," she told Reuters. A 16-year-old living in the same area said it was the first time he had felt such a strong earthquake, and that he immediately ran to higher ground.
Widespread Damage Across Flores
The quake was felt across much of Flores, a lush, mountainous island in Indonesia's Sunda chain that's also a gateway to Komodo National Park and lies near the tourist hotspot of Bali. Flores has a population of roughly 2 million people, largely spread across small villages, making disaster response and damage assessment particularly challenging in the quake's aftermath. Videos posted to social media showed buildings collapsing and panicked residents running and screaming as dust filled the sky, including footage of a building collapse at the Jayakarta hotel in Labuan Bajo. Hospital staff in affected areas moved equipment — including beds, IV stands, and oxygen cylinders — outdoors, setting up temporary treatment areas to continue operating amid the emergency.
A Region With a History of Deadly Quakes
Saturday's earthquake revives painful memories for the region: in December 1992, a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Flores and triggered a tsunami that killed approximately 2,500 people on the island. The latest disaster also comes amid a particularly active stretch for major earthquakes globally — it follows Monday's devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia, which caused widespread damage, and back-to-back June earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that killed more than 6,000 people in Venezuela, according to government figures.
What's Next
Emergency response teams are continuing to assess damage across affected villages on Flores as aftershocks persist. With the population spread across numerous small, often remote villages, officials say it may take time to gain a complete picture of casualties and structural damage across the island. For continuing coverage, see CNN's coverage of the earthquake.
As search and recovery efforts continue on Flores, authorities are urging residents to remain cautious of aftershocks and to follow official guidance on evacuation and shelter in the affected coastal areas.