Indonesian earthquake leaves at least 47 people dead as small tsunamis reach coast

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores region on Saturday has killed at least 47 people.

The severe tremor damaged homes and buildings, and also triggered a tsunami warning.

The initial quake has been followed by a series of strong aftershocks, forcing coastal residents to evacuate to higher ground as emergency services assess the damage.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was followed by at least 235 aftershocks, with the largest recorded at magnitude 6.2.

The agency’s sea-level monitoring stations acknowledged some small tsunamis reached coastal villages in Manggarai and East Manggarai regencies.

Videos obtained by The Associated Press showed the coastal village of Riung in Ngada regency blanketed in mud and debris after what the agency described as a 1.61-metre tsunami.

Fishing boats were stranded ashore, infrastructure damaged, and homes surrounded by sediment left by receding waters.

Waves measuring 0.94 metres were observed in Maurole, Ende Regency.

Tsunami waves exceeding 0.5 metres were detected in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, and Sape in Bima Regency.

A strong, land-based earthquake of 6.9 magnitude hit North Sumatra province in western Indonesia on Saturday afternoon, according to the USGS.

It struck 172.5 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface, meaning it was too deep to cause significant damage or casualties, Indonesian authorities said.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning for part of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi provinces, and urged residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks.

The agency located the shallow undersea quake near Flores Island. Residents on the coast were advised to move to higher ground as officials were closely monitoring coastal tide gauges for any changes.

The quake was felt across much of Flores Island with initial reports indicating damage to homes and public facilities.

Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka, a regency within East Nusa Tenggara province, said a number of buildings were damaged by the strong shaking and panicked people ran to higher ground.

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“Many buildings here were damaged ... I saw that the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed,” she said.

Students at St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka who were attending morning Mass fled in panic when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, said 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.”

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

In December of 1992, a magnitude seven earthquake caused a tsunami that killed about 2500 people on the southeastern island of Flores, part of a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia.

-Reported with Associated Press