Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Indonesia's Flores Island, killing at least 51
Around 5,000 people on Indonesia's Flores Island have been evacuated after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake killed at least 51 people. Landslides blocked roads to Nagekeo and the port town of Maumere, and more than 1,300 homes were damaged.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores Island early Saturday, killing at least 51 people and injuring over 100. The US Geological Survey placed the epicenter near Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. Landslides blocked roads and cut communication signals, stranding rescuers trying to reach Nagekeo and Maumere. More than 1,300 homes were damaged, a tsunami warning was issued and later lifted, and over 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed. The region has logged more than 340 aftershocks since the quake.