7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia coast

The earthquake struck offshore in the Flores region

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores region early Saturday, prompting a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).The earthquake struck at around 3.28am IST, with the epicentre located at 8.557°S latitude and 121.181°E longitude. The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of around 10 km. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) initially recorded the earthquake at magnitude 6.9 before revising it to 7.6.

The quake struck offshore near Flores, with reports indicating that buildings may have been damaged on the island.

Footage circulating online appeared to show structural damage, while local reports claimed that several buildings had been destroyed. However, the reports had not been independently confirmed.Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG kept its tsunami early warning in place for East Nusa Tenggara following the earthquake. The agency said the epicentre was around 38 km northeast of Mbay, with the quake occurring at a shallow depth of 10 km.

Indonesia is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity. The archipelago, which comprises more than 17,000 islands, regularly experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.This is a developing story. Details to follow...