Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to 38

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency chief Suharyanto said at least 38 people were killed after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores Island on Saturday.

Suharyanto said 13 people were injured, two of them seriously, and that victims were trapped in several buildings. He said two helicopters and a plane were being prepared to support rescue operations.

Dozens of houses and other buildings were damaged, and Suharyanto said about 2,000 people had evacuated. Rescue official Fathur Rahman said teams were focusing on people who may be buried under rubble, while landslides had cut off roads and complicated the work.

Residents near the epicentre in Nagekeo ran to higher ground after the sea retreated early Saturday. Indonesia's tsunami warning was later lifted, but authorities urged people not to return to damaged buildings because aftershocks could bring them down. The strongest aftershock measured magnitude 6.1.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered support from the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation satellites for search and rescue efforts.

The shallow quake's epicentre was just off the north coast of Flores, according to US and Indonesian authorities. The extent of the damage was still being assessed.