A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores island early on Saturday, killing at least two people and prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning that was later lifted.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.7. It struck at a depth of about 10 kilometres, roughly 70 kilometres north-west of the town of Ende in central Flores, the USGS said.
Aftershocks included tremors measuring 6.1 and 5.9, among others. About 1.5 million people live in areas that experienced strong shaking, according to the USGS.
Two people were killed and one injured in the Sikka area, Indonesia’s disaster management agency BNPB said. There was no immediate information on the extent of the damage.
Flores is part of Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province. The western part of the island, including the tourist hub of Labuan Bajo, is popular with visitors as a base for diving, snorkelling and trips to Komodo National Park, home to Komodo dragons, which can grow to approximately two metres long.
The central part of Flores around Ende, about 300 kilometres farther east, is more remote and has little tourism infrastructure.
Flores is one of more than 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia. The country lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” one of the world’s most geologically active regions, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent.