Indonesia Flores earthquake kills two, tsunami warning lifted after panic

A powerful earthquake struck off Flores, collapsing buildings and prompting evacuations. The brief tsunami alert was lifted, but widespread damage and panic kept authorities on edge.

In Short

• Hospitals evacuated patients outdoors and set up temporary emergency treatment areas
• Epicentre was 68 km northwest of Ende at shallow depth
• Residents in Sikka reported damaged buildings and rushed towards higher ground

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Flores region early on Saturday, collapsing homes and buildings, killing at least two people, injuring two others and causing panic. Authorities issued a tsunami warning after the quake, but later withdrew it after Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would threaten coastal communities.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km at 5:58 am local time. Its epicentre was 68 km north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. Several aftershocks followed. Preliminary reports from the Maumere Search and Rescue Agency, cited by Indonesia’s disaster management agency, said the quake caused severe damage and brought down buildings.

Footage on local television showed patients being evacuated from several hospitals as a precaution after the quake. Hospital staff moved equipment outdoors, including beds, IV stands and oxygen cylinders, and set up temporary treatment areas to deal with the emergency.

The quake was felt across much of Flores island, with early reports indicating heavy damage. Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka in East Nusa Tenggara province, said several buildings were damaged and frightened residents ran to higher ground. ‘Many buildings here were damaged ... I saw that the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed,’ she said.

At St Peter Major Seminary in Sikka, students attending morning Mass ran out in panic when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, according to the Rev Guidelbertus Tanga, rector of the seminary, which is known locally as Ritapiret Seminary on the predominantly Catholic island of Flores. ‘Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,’ Tanga said. ‘At least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building during the quake.’

Indonesian authorities had initially issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi provinces, and urged people to stay away from beaches and riverbanks while those living along the coast moved to higher ground. The warning was later lifted, but officials continued to assess the damage after the powerful quake and its aftershocks.

With PTI Inputs

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