One person has died and four others have been injured after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores region early Saturday, sending frightened residents fleeing their homes and forcing people near the coast to move towards higher ground after a tsunami warning was issued.
The earthquake hit shortly before 05:00 local time in East Nusa Tenggara, with the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics reporting that it occurred at a depth of 15km.
The tremor caused damage in Maumere, the main town on the island of Flores, where people ran into the streets as buildings shook. At the port, video footage showed large pieces of concrete breaking away from a terminal building and falling onto passengers waiting to board an inter-island ferry.
Some passengers were thrown into the sea after the gangway leading to the vessel collapsed.
The powerful shaking also triggered panic in coastal communities, with residents seen riding motorbikes inland after authorities issued a tsunami warning. The warning was later lifted.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, known as BNPB, initially reported that two people had died following the earthquake. It later revised the figure after teams on the ground verified the information.
"Following verification and validation by personnel on the ground, the data was revised to one confirmed fatality," BNPB said in a statement.
Search and rescue teams were deployed to Maumere as authorities worked to establish the full extent of the damage and determine whether anyone remained trapped inside damaged buildings.
The affected area is about 600 miles (1,000km) from Bali and is remote and mountainous, making it likely to take time for authorities to assess the full impact of the earthquake.
Strong aftershocks were also recorded in the area, including one measuring 6.1 in magnitude, adding to fears among residents who had already been forced from their homes.
The national disaster management agency said its immediate focus was protecting residents and preventing further deaths or injuries caused by aftershocks and other dangers linked to the earthquake.
Authorities urged people to remain calm and keep away from coastal areas following the initial tsunami warning.
"Residents should also avoid entering buildings, especially those that have already sustained cracks or structural damage," BNPB said.
"A rapid assessment is currently underway to determine the number of casualties and the extent of the impact. We will provide that information after the data has been verified."
Residents in areas close to the shoreline described scenes of panic as the ground shook and the sea appeared to pull back.
Arnold Welianto, who lives in Talibura village, Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, told the BBC that he was still asleep when he felt the "very strong shaking".
"I was startled awake and immediately went to my child's room," he said.
"Once we were outside, residents in our neighbourhood, which is located close to the shoreline, had already fled their homes and were heading toward the hills and crowding the roads, while some other residents were standing along the roadside because the sea had also receded."
"The water remained low for quite some time, so everyone panicked and ran - I went around to the community health centre, and the people there had already been evacuated."
Welianto said many residents were continuing to stay outside because they were afraid to return to their homes.
He said repeated aftershocks had added to the fear, leaving residents uncertain about when it would be safe to go back inside.
Authorities are continuing to assess the situation in the affected communities as rescue teams search damaged buildings and officials work to establish the extent of the destruction and the number of people affected.