JAKARTA — A shallow and powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 47 people and triggering widespread panic, aftershocks, and a temporary tsunami warning.

Impact and Casualties Across the Region

The earthquake hit the island of Flores shortly before 05:00 local time at a shallow depth of 15km (9 miles), exacerbating surface destruction. 

According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), fatalities have climbed as search and rescue efforts push into the remote, mountainous region.

Manggarai province suffered the heaviest losses, recording 24 deaths, followed by 17 in East Manggarai, three in Sikka, and additional fatalities in Ngada, Ende, and West Manggarai. 

East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena stated that many victims tragically lost their lives to collapsing rubble while asleep. 

Hundreds of structures have sustained damage, including more than 150 severely wrecked houses, numerous schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship.

At the port in Maumere, dramatic footage captured concrete chunks breaking off terminal buildings and a collapsing gangway that plunged waiting ferry passengers into the sea.

Tsunami Alert and Community Response

Following the initial jolt, authorities issued a tsunami warning after coastal residents reported that the sea had noticeably receded. 

The alert prompted an immediate evacuation, with roughly 2,000 residents fleeing inland on motorbikes or heading for higher ground in the hills. The tsunami warning was lifted about three hours later once monitoring confirmed no significant sea-level rise.

Dozens of aftershocks—including a magnitude 6.4 tremor in North Sumatra—have left residents too terrified to return indoors. Many locals, such as residents in Talibura and Ruteng, have chosen to camp outside, cook in open spaces, and wait out the ongoing seismic activity.

Relief Operations Underway

BNPB has confirmed that emergency aid is being dispatched to the affected areas. Officials have urged citizens to remain calm, avoid damaged buildings, and stay away from coastal zones as damage assessments continue across the disaster-stricken terrain. 

Indonesia remains one of the world's most earthquake-prone nations due to its location along the convergence of three major tectonic plates.