A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 occurred on Flores Island in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. The earthquake was recorded at approximately 05:00 local time. One person was killed and four people were injured as a result of the natural disaster. The BBC reported this.
The earthquake's source was located at a depth of 15 kilometers. It was reported that the epicenter was nearly 1,000 kilometers from Bali Island.
The earthquake was felt particularly strongly in the city of Maumere on Flores Island. Videos taken at the port showed large concrete parts of the terminal building collapsing onto passengers waiting for a ferry. As a result of the collapse of the walkway leading to the ship, some people fell into the sea.
After the earthquake, officials issued a warning about the risk of a tsunami. Because of this, people in Maumere moved to safer areas, including elevated places. The tsunami warning was later lifted.
Strong aftershocks were also observed in the area. Among them was an earthquake reaching a magnitude of 6.1.
Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency called on residents not to panic and to stay away from coastal areas. It was also recommended not to enter buildings whose walls had developed cracks or other structural damage.
Rescue and search teams are working in the city of Maumere. Specialists are inspecting destroyed buildings and determining the extent of casualties and destruction.
Currently, some local residents are refraining from returning to their homes for fear of aftershocks. Work to assess the exact damage and the number of casualties is ongoing.
