Disasters & Incidents
Indonesia earthquake kills at least 38, official says
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake in eastern Indonesia killed at least 38 people, National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said Saturday.
Suharyanto told a news conference that two people were seriously injured, 11 sustained minor injuries and approximately 2,000 people had evacuated on their own.
Rescuers had been searching debris after the shallow quake struck just off Flores island's north coast, about 68 kilometres northwest of Ende, according to US and Indonesian authorities.
Earlier, search and rescue official Fathur Rahman said deaths had been confirmed in four towns on Flores and that landslides had cut off several roads, complicating access.
Authorities had warned people not to return to damaged buildings because aftershocks could bring them down.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, known as BMKG, initially warned of possible tsunami waves after the quake, sending thousands of people to higher ground. BMKG later lifted the tsunami warning but said it would keep monitoring sea levels.
Dozens of aftershocks were felt, including one measured at magnitude 6.1. The full extent of the damage was still being assessed.
Update
National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said two people were seriously injured and 11 sustained minor injuries.
Suharyanto said approximately 2,000 people had evacuated on their own.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 08:50:40 UTC.
Update
An official said the Indonesia earthquake death toll had risen to 38.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 08:36:29 UTC.
Update
A rescue official said the 20 confirmed deaths were from four towns on Flores.
The rescue effort was complicated by landslides cutting off several roads.
Residents in Nagekeo ran to higher ground after the sea retreated, which can signal a tsunami.
Video released by the rescue agency showed two people evacuated alive from debris and one body recovered at Maumere port.
A Maumere resident said hospital patients fled and some walls cracked.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 05:00:42 UTC.
Update
A Maumere search and rescue official said at least 20 people had died.
The official said six people were injured and two were still buried.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 04:43:04 UTC.
Update
Emergency officials corrected the casualty toll to one dead and four injured after initially reporting two deaths.
Rescuers were shown searching rubble in Maumere for trapped survivors.
Authorities warned people not to return to damaged buildings because aftershocks could bring them down.
The full extent of damage was still being assessed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 02:44:47 UTC.
Update
Authorities had not reported any casualties in the later account.
AFP journalists saw residents in Nagekeo regency run for higher ground as the sea retreated.
A Maumere resident said patients fled a hospital and some walls were cracked.
A Nagekeo resident described people evacuating toward hills.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 02:01:03 UTC.
Update
An emergency official said two people were killed in the 7.7-magnitude Indonesian quake.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 01:11:06 UTC.
Update
Indonesia ended the tsunami warning issued after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 00:46:50 UTC.
Update
Indonesia's national disaster agency urged coastal residents on Flores and nearby southern areas to evacuate immediately.
BNPB official Abdul Muhari advised residents to move more than two kilometres inland or to hilly areas more than 10 metres high.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 00:25:53 UTC.
Update
Hundreds of people evacuated after the quake triggered a tsunami warning.
Indonesian authorities said tsunami waves of 19 to 30 centimetres had been detected.
USGS said a 6.1-magnitude aftershock followed the initial quake.
A witness said patients fled a hospital and some walls were cracked.
An AFP correspondent saw residents in Maumere evacuating to higher ground and said the sea appeared to be receding.
Indonesian television showed evacuations and damaged buildings in nearby Nagekeo regency.
Authorities had not reported any casualties.
Source note: AFP news report published on 15 August 2026 at 00:00:00 UTC.
Update
Indonesian authorities urged evacuations after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake, an official said.
Source note: AFP news report published on 14 August 2026 at 23:58:11 UTC.
Update
USGS said the initial quake was followed by magnitude 5.6 and 5.9 aftershocks in the same area.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency warned that tsunami waves could be generated by the quake.
Source note: AFP news report published on 14 August 2026 at 22:43:21 UTC.
Update
The earthquake was reported off Indonesia's Flores island.
USGS placed the epicentre off the island's north coast, about 68 kilometres northwest of Ende.
USGS reported the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres.
The latest item describes the quake as occurring early Saturday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 14 August 2026 at 22:30:17 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The full extent of the damage was still being assessed.
Source
AFP news report published on .