The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Flores, triggering landslides, a tsunami warning and hundreds of aftershocks across eastern Indonesia.
SIKKA, Indonesia — At least 51 people were killed and thousands fled their homes after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia, damaging more than 1,300 homes, blocking roads with landslides and sending rescue teams into communities across Flores Island.
About 5,000 people had evacuated by Sunday, Aug. 16, as authorities continued searching damaged buildings and areas hit by landslides in East Nusa Tenggara province. Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus said 36 people were seriously injured and 77 suffered minor injuries. Officials had not released a firm count of people still missing as rescue and damage assessments continued.
The earthquake struck at 4:58 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, known as BMKG, placed its magnitude at 7.7 and its depth at 15 kilometers, or about 9 miles. The epicenter was in the sea about 30 kilometers northeast of Nagekeo in East Nusa Tenggara. BMKG said the shallow earthquake was caused by movement along the Flores Back-Arc Thrust, a major fault system north of Flores.
The earthquake prompted an early tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi. BMKG later recorded tsunami waves at several monitoring stations, including a peak of about 1.61 meters in the Reo area of Manggarai. The agency ended the tsunami warning at 7:30 a.m. after monitoring showed sea levels had returned to safe conditions.
Aftershocks continued for hours after the main earthquake. BMKG had recorded 235 aftershocks by 2 p.m. Saturday, ranging from magnitude 2.5 to 6.2. By Sunday, authorities reported about 341 aftershocks. The continued shaking left many residents reluctant to return indoors, even where homes remained standing.
More than 3,300 people in Sikka either evacuated on their own or sought shelter at a sports arena, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB. Other residents slept outdoors under temporary coverings because they feared damaged buildings could collapse during another tremor. Medical workers also treated some patients outside a hospital in the port town of Maumere while officials assessed damage to health facilities.
Landslides created major obstacles for rescue crews and initially cut off some communities. Authorities said teams eventually reached parts of the Maumere area that had been inaccessible. Damage was reported to homes, schools, health facilities, places of worship, government offices and transportation infrastructure. Power failures also affected fuel supplies, with 20 fuel stations reported out of operation because of electricity disruptions.
Indonesia deployed thousands of personnel to the disaster zone. More than 3,500 military and police officers were sent to assist with search, rescue and relief operations. BNPB said the government’s immediate priorities included rescuing people trapped in collapsed buildings, treating the injured, restoring essential infrastructure and providing basic supplies to displaced residents. Specialized search-and-rescue teams were also sent from other regions.
Authorities were considering emergency declarations that could speed the movement of government funding, equipment and personnel into the hardest-hit areas. BNPB chief Suharyanto asked affected local governments to establish emergency-response status and activate command posts to coordinate casualty information, searches, aid distribution and shelter operations. Government agencies also mobilized aircraft, ships, medical teams and disaster supplies.
The earthquake was the deadliest to strike Indonesia since a 2022 earthquake in West Java killed hundreds of people. Flores has a long history of destructive seismic activity. A major earthquake and tsunami struck the region in 1992, causing widespread destruction and killing thousands. Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently.
A separate strong earthquake also struck North Sumatra later Saturday. Indonesia’s BNPB and BMKG reported that event as magnitude 6.4 with a depth of 163 kilometers, while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 6.9. Authorities said the North Sumatra earthquake did not pose a tsunami threat, and no major casualties from that separate event were immediately reported.
Search and relief operations remained underway Sunday as crews cleared roads, restored communications and tried to reach isolated communities. The death toll and damage figures remained subject to change as teams gained access to areas that had been difficult to reach after the earthquake.
Author note: Last updated August 16, 2026.