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7.7 quake off Flores
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia in the Flores region, with the U.S. Geological Survey saying the quake hit at a depth of 10 kilometers at 5:58 a.m. Saturday Indonesia time.
“magnitude 7.7 quake has struck off the coast of Indonesia”
The USGS placed the epicenter 68 kms (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende, and the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics issued a tsunami warning after the quake.
Al Jazeera Net said the American observatory identified the epicenter as off the northern coast of the island, about 68 kilometers northwest of Ende regency, at a depth of only 10 kilometers.
Clarín reported the epicenter occurred at 05:58 local time Saturday (21:58 GMT Friday) and said the BMKG issued a tsunami alert while warning of the possibility that the earthquake could generate waves of 0.94 m in Maurole-Ende.
Aftershocks and tsunami alerts
Al Jazeera Net said the earthquake was followed by two aftershocks in the same region, while the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics warned of the possibility of tsunami waves.
Clarín added that the earthquake was followed by two aftershocks in the same area, measuring 5.6 and 5.9, and said the USGS identified at least three more aftershocks between 06:18 and 06:37.
NBC News reported that Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning and urged residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks.
The Indonesian early warning system described by Clarín used orange and yellow alerts for different parts of Flores Island, with the orange level meaning provincial, district, and municipal governments should pay attention and immediately order the public to evacuate.
Monitoring, no damage yet
EFE said that so far authorities had not released reports of casualties or material damage, and it also said it was unknown whether the movement triggered a tsunami alert by local authorities.
“no se han reportado víctimas ni daños materiales”
Clarín similarly reported that authorities had not released reports of casualties or material damage, while also estimating that around 2 million people live on Flores Island and noting Ende’s population of 90,000 inhabitants.
NBC News said there was no immediate information available from authorities about possible damage from the quake, and it reported that Australia’s tsunami warning center said the undersea earthquake will have “no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories”.
Primicias reported that the Indonesian tsunami early warning center issued a level 2 alert for the regions Nusa Tenggara Occidental, Nusa Tenggara Oriental, Sulawesi del Sur and Sulawesi del Sureste, while also stating that up to that point no deaths had been reported.
