A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores island, killing at least 47 people, injuring dozens and causing widespread damage across East Nusa Tenggara province. Officials warned the toll could rise as rescue teams tried to reach isolated communities.
The US Geological Survey located the shallow earthquake 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende at a depth of 10 kilometres. It occurred at 5:58 a.m. local time and was followed by at least 235 aftershocks, the strongest measured at magnitude 6.2.
Indonesian authorities initially issued tsunami warnings for several provinces and told coastal residents to leave beaches and riverbanks. The alert was later lifted after monitoring found no continuing threat from significant sea-level changes, although smaller waves did reach land.
A tsunami measuring 1.61 metres deposited mud and debris through Riung in Ngada regency, leaving fishing boats ashore and damaging infrastructure. Gauges also recorded waves of 0.94 metres at Maurole and more than half a metre at locations in South Sulawesi and Bima regency.
National disaster chief Suharyanto said rescuers had recovered at least 47 bodies, mainly in Sikka, Manggarai and East Manggarai, while 50 or more people were taken to hospitals. At least 157 houses were destroyed and nearly 200 others damaged. Roughly 2,000 residents moved into temporary shelter, and more than 100 public facilities—including schools, clinics and churches—were reported destroyed.
The response faced severe logistical obstacles. Landslides blocked sections of the Trans-Flores highway and cut off villages across six regencies. Electricity and communications failed in some areas, slowing information about casualties and damage. Search teams lacked enough heavy equipment for buried settlements, prompting authorities to deploy three helicopters and a rescue ship for supplies and possible evacuations.
The quake was felt across Flores, including Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo National Park. Damage was also reported in neighbouring West Nusa Tenggara and parts of southern Sulawesi. A separate magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck deep beneath North Sumatra later that day, but Indonesian officials said its 172.5-kilometre depth made serious surface damage unlikely.
Indonesia's position along the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it highly exposed to earthquakes and volcanic activity. Flores has experienced devastating combinations of shaking and sea waves before, including a 1992 disaster that killed about 2,500 people.
The immediate priority after the 2026 quake was not historical comparison but access: clearing roads, restoring communications and reaching communities from which no complete assessment had arrived. With remote villages buried or cut off, the initial count of 47 deaths was unlikely to represent the full impact.
