A very powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia in the early morning hours, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced. Several aftershocks followed, the strongest measuring 6.1R, and at least two people were killed, according to a preliminary report released by emergency services.
The epicenter of the earthquake, which was recorded at 5:58 a.m. (local time; 12:58 a.m. Cyprus time) at a shallow depth in the waters off the island of Flores, was 68 kilometers from the city of Ende, in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, according to USGS data.
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M7.7 Earthquake detected near 68 km NNW of Ende, Indonesia.
Magnitude: 7.7
Location: 68 km (42 mi) NNW of Ende, Indonesia
Date: August 15, 2026 & Time: 5:58 a.m. (Local Time) #earthquake #seismic #breaking #alert #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/7kfVaFQqHmAdvertisement— Earthquake Alerts (@Earthquake2day) August 15, 2026
Burton Panjaitan, deputy head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, said they had received reports of two deaths.
“At this stage, we have received reports of two deaths, a man and a woman,” a spokesperson for the disaster management agency told the press in Jakarta.
“We are continuing to monitor and verify this information. We will issue an official statement as soon as the data is confirmed, including the death toll and the extent of the damage caused by the disaster,” he noted.
Indonesia’s Joint Search and Rescue (SAR) Team stated that the powerful earthquake caused a building to collapse, killing a 54-year-old woman. “Two other people were injured,” said Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office. Search and rescue teams have been deployed to many areas affected by the earthquake.
Footage broadcast by Indonesian television showed hundreds of people also fleeing the Nagekeo area, as well as damaged buildings.
— Mahrosh Pervaiz (@MahroshPervaiz1) August 14, 2026
BREAKING | A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake has struck Indonesia. 
#Indonesia #Earthquake #BreakingNews #EarthquakeAlert pic.twitter.com/HL4PDouLEx
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The devastating scale of the powerful 7.7-magnitude #earthquake that struck off the coast of Flores Island, #Indonesia. 
Footage from the region shows the sudden, violent force of the shallow tremor and its immediate aftermath.https://t.co/W478DSHTGFpic.twitter.com/gb8zhyNnnZ 
The…
World News 
(@ferozwala) August 15, 2026
A warning has been issued for waves ranging from 0.5 to 3 meters in height. Residents of the city of Maumere, on the island of Flores, about 2,400 kilometers away, were moving to higher ground, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent. The correspondent reported that the sea had receded in the area, a phenomenon often observed before a potential tsunami strikes.
Tsunami warning issued after magnitude 7.7 #earthquake strikes #Indonesia, EMSC says.
Footage reportedly recorded in Indonesia shows water receding. https://t.co/FlsbtxRY01pic.twitter.com/ELzI1EnIUe
Data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reflect… https://t.co/SNAY5m5sMc
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“We are calling on residents along the northern coast of Flores and in the southern zones, the southern islands, and the southern region to evacuate on their own immediately,” stressed Abdul Muhari, an official with the national disaster management agency in the vast Asian archipelago.
Authorities announced that tsunami waves ranging from 19 to 30 centimeters in height have been recorded.
A short time later, Indonesian authorities announced that the tsunami warning had been lifted.
In the vast Indonesian archipelago, seismic and volcanic activity is particularly intense and frequent due to the country’s location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.
In early July, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded, which caused no casualties or serious damage.
In 2018, 2,200 people lost their lives in Palu, a city of about 400,000 residents and the capital of the central province of Kelebis, due to a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami.
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Source: PROTO THEMA
