Archive · 15 Aug 2026
At least 38 dead as 7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia
Early one Saturday morning, a very big earthquake shook eastern Indonesia.
This earthquake was very strong and measured 7.7 on scientists' scale.
It happened deep underground near a place called Flores, and the shaking lasted about a minute in many places.
The rumbling made hills collapse and caused damage.
Sadly, at least 38 people lost their lives, and more than a dozen people were hurt.
Scared residents ran outside of their homes to be safe.
The ocean made some waves that were a little bigger than normal, but they were not very tall.
A warning about the waves was lifted three hours later.
About 2,000 people moved to safer places.
Indonesia gets many earthquakes because it sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where Earth's big rock plates meet.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Flores region of eastern Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 38 people.
The quake hit at 5:58 am local time at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre 68 kilometres northwest of the city of Ende.
Tsunami waves of less than 3 feet were recorded in several parts of Indonesia, and the tsunami warning was lifted three hours after the quake.
Sixteen bodies were pulled from the site of a landslide in the village of Reok in the Manggarai region.
About 2,000 people fled to safer ground, and strong tremors were felt in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi.
- Who
- Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, and residents of eastern Indonesia.
- What
- A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Flores region, killing at least 38 people and injuring over a dozen.
- When
- Early Saturday, at 5:58 am local time.
- Where
- Flores region of eastern Indonesia; the epicentre was 68 kilometres northwest of the city of Ende.
- Why
- Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where different geological plates meet.
- Magnitude
- 7.7
- Epicentre
- 68 kilometres northwest of Ende, Flores region
- Depth
- 10 kilometres
- Time
- 5:58 am local time, Saturday
- Casualties
- At least 38 dead; 13 injured (2 seriously, 11 minor) as of 15:00 local time
- Displaced
- About 2,000 people fled to safer ground
- Tsunami warning
- Lifted three hours after the quake; waves under 3 feet recorded
- Seismic zone
- Pacific Ring of Fire