Tsunami warnings after M7.7 earthquake hits in Indonesia
The powerful and shallow earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday morning local time
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday morning local time.
The epicentre of the powerful and relatively shallow earthquake occurred just off the northern coast of Indonesia’s Flores Island in the eastern portion of the country, about 400 km southeast of the city of Makassar.
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Tsunami warnings were issued throughout the region immediately following the powerful earthquake.
Data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reflect that very strong shaking is likely to have affected more than 500,000 people on Flores Island, with moderate to strong shaking felt by several million more residents in the region.
The agency also estimates that the earthquake may expose both a significant amount of land and people to landslides.
Several sizeable aftershocks followed Saturday morning's main quake. Additional aftershocks are likely for days and weeks after an earthquake of this magnitude.
Indonesia is one of the world’s most seismically active countries. An earthquake in December 1992 struck the same area with similar intensity; the shaking and subsequent tsunami reportedly killed more than 2,500 people.