A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least five people and damaging buildings in the East Nusa Tenggara province, according to officials. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time with an epicenter 68 kilometers (42 miles) north-northwest of Ende, in East Nusa Tenggara province. The depth of the quake was 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Earthquake and Aftershocks

The USGS reported the initial quake was followed by several aftershocks within half an hour, measuring 5.9, 5.6, and 6.1, as East Nusa Tenggara police chief Rudi Darmoko confirmed two deaths in Sikka Regency and three in Manggarai Regency, with severe damage and collapsed buildings. Power outages in cities and villages have hampered the flow of information and complicated search and rescue efforts, he added.

East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena told journalists the five people died from collapsing rubble while they slept. According to officials, the death toll is expected to climb further as emergency teams continue working through the aftermath. Local media footage showed extensive damage to buildings in the aftermath of the earthquake, with areas around the Maumere region sustaining severe impact.

Tsunami Warning and Response

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a tsunami warning for affected coastlines, urging residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks and move to higher ground. The warning has since been lifted. The agency also located the shallow undersea quake near Flores island and advised residents along affected coastlines to move to higher ground as officials were closely monitoring coastal tide gauges for any changes.

Hospital staff in the region evacuated patients from buildings as a precaution following the quake. Equipment such as beds, IV stands, and oxygen cylinders were moved outdoors, and temporary treatment areas were set up to adapt to emergency conditions. Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka regency, reported that many buildings were damaged and panicked people ran to higher ground. She specifically mentioned the waiting room at the port terminal in Maumere had collapsed.

Damage and Ongoing Monitoring

Students at St. Peter Major Seminary in Sikka fled in panic when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, according to the Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, rector of the seminary. “Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,” Tanga said. USGS estimates suggest more than half a million people on Flores Island, in eastern Indonesia, are likely to have experienced very strong shaking, with moderate to strong shaking felt by several million more people across the wider region.

Local authorities said they were continuing to monitor the situation and assess the risk of further aftershocks in the hours ahead. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. Initial reports indicated there was damage to homes and public facilities, though officials had not yet released estimates of the number of damaged buildings or any casualties.