Powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake kills at least 47 in Indonesia

At least 47 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, triggering small tsunami waves and dozens of aftershocks, officials say.

The quake hit at 04:58 local time (20:58 on Friday GMT) at a depth of 15km, according to Indonesia's geophysics agency BMKG. Tsunami waves under a metre high were recorded in several coastal areas, though the warning was lifted roughly three hours later.

Teams yet to reach area closest to epicentre 

The worst-hit areas are across Flores Island, where the death toll has risen to at least 47, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency. In Maumere, the main town in Sikka Regency, rescuers earlier reported 20 deaths as emergency teams continued searching damaged buildings for survivors.

Rescue teams have yet to reach Nagekeo, the region closest to the epicentre, after landslides blocked roads and communications were disrupted. One team was attempting to reach the area by ferry instead. Around 2,000 residents there have been evacuated, with houses, warehouses and government buildings damaged, alongside power cuts and traffic congestion, according to national disaster agency BNPB.

People killed while sleeping

Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, said at least five people died when rubble collapsed on them as they slept.

Footage verified by Reuters showed part of a building collapsing at a port in Maumere as people screamed and fled. One resident, 51-year-old Nona from the village of Talibura, described the "massive" shock, saying she and 12 family members ran from their home to escape.

BNPB said strong shaking lasting around a minute was felt across East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi, with residents fleeing their homes. A hospital in Ende was evacuating patients, and at least one landslide was reported nearby.

BMKG noted the region was struck by a similarly powerful magnitude-7.5 quake in 1992, which caused significant destruction. Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity where tectonic plates meet.

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