Rescue operations continue in eastern Indonesia following magnitude 7.7 earthquake

Emergency response teams in eastern Indonesia continue search and recovery efforts following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off Flores island. Preliminary casualty figures vary across reports, with disaster management officials and regional rescue teams estimating between 20 and 40 fatalities, alongside numerous injuries and trapped residents.

The shallow tremor collapsed residential buildings, schools, and warehouses, while resulting landslides blocked critical transport routes, complicating emergency operations. Authorities briefly triggered a coastal tsunami alert, prompting thousands of residents to seek higher ground before the warning was subsequently cancelled. First responders and local agencies remain active on the ground to assess structural damage and locate survivors amid ongoing aftershocks.

Sources: Canarias7, El Día, El Mundo, Expresso das Ilhas, La Vanguardia