JAKARTA, 15 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja): At least 20 people have died after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake and dozens of aftershocks struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, according to rescue officials. Tsunami waves of less than one metre were recorded in several areas following the early morning earthquake. Authorities lifted the tsunami warning approximately three hours after the quake. Rescuers in and around the port town of Maumere found 20 bodies, while six people were injured and two others remained trapped under rubble, according to Fathur Rahman, head of the local rescue agency. Maumere is the main town of Sikka Regency on Flores Island in eastern Indonesia. Rescue teams were still unable to reach Nagekeo, the area closest to the earthquake’s epicentre, due to damaged communications and landslides blocking road access. Around 2,000 residents of Nagekeo were evacuated, while damage was reported to houses, warehouses and government facilities, Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency BNPB said. Authorities also reported traffic congestion and power outages in parts of the region. East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said at a press conference that at least five people had died after buildings and other structures collapsed while residents were sleeping. BNPB said it was still collecting information and assessing the extent of the damage. Video footage verified by Reuters showed parts of a building collapsing into rubble at a port in Maumere as people screamed and fled into the streets.

A 51-year-old resident of Talibura said the earthquake was extremely powerful, forcing everyone inside her home to run outside for safety. Strong shaking was reported across East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi. Residents in several areas said the shaking lasted for about one minute. A hospital in Ende district moved patients outside as a precaution, while landslides were also reported in the region. Indonesia’s geophysics agency BMKG said the initial earthquake occurred at 4:58 a.m. local time at a depth of approximately 15 kilometres, followed by several aftershocks. The same region was struck by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, which caused extensive destruction, according to BMKG. Australia’s tsunami warning centre said the undersea earthquake posed no tsunami threat to mainland Australia, its islands or territories. Indonesia lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active zones, where tectonic plates meet and generate frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.