A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia just before 6 AM local time on Saturday, damaging buildings, triggering a tsunami, and killing at least five people, according to preliminary reports from authorities.
The earthquake’s epicenter was located on the seafloor approximately 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) northeast of Mbay in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported. The agency said tsunami waves up to 0.94 meters high were observed in several coastal regions. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded three substantial aftershocks following the main tremor, measuring 5.6, 6.1, and 5.0 in magnitude.
Melki Laka Lena, the governor of East Nusa Tenggara, confirmed the death toll in a statement carried by local media. Footage circulating on social media, purportedly from the event, captured the moment building facades crumbled and panicked residents fled into the streets. Other clips showed structures that had completely collapsed.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago straddling the meeting point of several major tectonic plates, lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the most seismically active zones on Earth. The nation has endured catastrophic earthquakes in recent decades. A 9.1-magnitude quake in 2004 unleashed a deadly tsunami that claimed more than 220,000 lives across the broader region. More recently, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on the island of Lombok in 2018 killed hundreds.
Rescue and assessment operations are underway as officials monitor for further seismic activity. The event highlights the enduring vulnerability of the region to geological hazards and the critical need for robust disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure to protect communities.
