Indonesia issues tsunami warning after 7.7 earthquake

Indonesia issues tsunami warning after 7.7 earthquake

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Flores island early on Saturday, triggering a tsunami warning and prompting hundreds to evacuate. The epicentre of the quake was located off the north coast of the island, about 68km north-west of Ende, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The shallow quake, which had a depth of 10km, was followed by several aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.1. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned of a possibility of tsunami waves being generated by the quake, and a tsunami warning was issued for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi provinces. Residents in coastal areas were urged to seek higher ground, with authorities warning of waves ranging from 0.5 metres to three metres. The national disaster agency called for evacuations, with Abdul Muhari, an official at the agency, saying, "We strongly urge our communities along the northern coast of Flores and in the southern parts, on the southern islands and across the southern region, to carry out self-evacuation immediately." Residents in the town of Maumere on Flores Island were seen evacuating to higher ground, with the sea in the area receding, a common phenomenon ahead of a possible tsunami. Images broadcast on Indonesian television showed hundreds of people in nearby Nagekeo regency evacuating the area, as well as damaged buildings. According to BMKG earthquake and tsunami director Wijayanto, "Tsunami modelling results indicate that this earthquake has the potential to generate a tsunami in the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara." The agency later lifted the tsunami warning at 8:42am local time. The earthquake was felt strongly for around one minute in regions such as Nagekeo and Bima, with residents describing scenes of panic as the ground shook. Lukas Lotar, a 31-year-old hospital customer service official, said, "Suddenly it started to shake and I panicked. Patients also fled the hospital, the jolt was big. I saw some walls were cracked." Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka regency in East Nusa Tenggara, said several buildings had been damaged, and people fled towards higher ground. "Many buildings here were damaged ... I saw that the waiting room at the Pelni port terminal in Maumere had collapsed," she said. Australia's tsunami warning centre said the undersea earthquake would have "no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories". Indonesia is one of the world's most earthquake- and volcano-prone countries, due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. The country has experienced several devastating earthquakes in the past, including a 9.1-magnitude tremor in 2004 that triggered a tsunami that killed over 220,000 people throughout the region. In recent years, Indonesia has been hit by several powerful earthquakes, including a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island in 2018, which left over 4,300 people dead or missing.

Earthquake aftermath

According to Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, a disaster agency spokesman, two people have been confirmed dead. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but initial reports indicate that several buildings have been damaged, and hundreds of people have been displaced. The Indonesian government has deployed emergency response teams to the affected areas, and aid is being distributed to those in need. In the coming days and weeks, the full extent of the damage will become clear, and the people of Indonesia will begin the long process of rebuilding and recovery. For now, the focus is on providing aid and support to those affected and ensuring that the country is prepared for any future disasters.