The death toll from a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia early on August 15 has risen to at least 20, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP), citing rescue workers.


Earlier reports had put the number of fatalities at five following the earthquake, which struck the Flores region at 4:58 a.m. local time.


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A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least five people and damaging buildings and homes across Flores Island, according to local authorities.


The earthquake struck at 4:58 a.m. local time at a depth of about 15 kilometres (9 miles) in the Flores region, Indonesia’s geophysics agency BMKG said. The epicentre was located off the island’s northern coast, about 68 kilometres (42 miles) northwest of the coastal town of Ende, The Guardian reports.






East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said five people were killed after rubble fell on them while they were sleeping. The national disaster agency BNPB initially reported one death and four injuries.






Authorities issued a tsunami warning shortly after the earthquake, prompting residents in areas near the epicentre to flee to higher ground. The warning was later lifted after BMKG said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes posing a threat to coastal communities.






Tsunami waves of less than one metre (three feet) were recorded in several areas. Dozens of aftershocks followed the main earthquake, including one measuring 6.1 in magnitude.






The earthquake was felt across much of Flores, with initial reports indicating widespread damage. Television footage showed residents evacuating areas in Nagekeo Regency amid rubble from damaged buildings, while video verified by Reuters from a port in Maumere showed part of a building collapsing as people fled into the streets.


Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity.


By Sabina Mammadli