A 7,7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia, leaving at least 47 dead in Flores.

A powerful earthquake struck northern Flores Island on Saturday morning, causing buildings to collapse and residents to flee into the streets. The provisional death toll stands at 47, with 50 injured.

The earthquake, measuring 7,7 on the Richter scale, struck at a shallow depth of approximately 10 kilometers below the surface in the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago. The tremor caused panic among residents of northern Flores in the early morning hours, with several buildings collapsing under the force of the vibrations.

Fathur Rahman, head of the rescue efforts, reported a death toll of 40 and injuries on Saturday evening, which has since risen to 47. Approximately 2,000 residents of Nagekeo Regency evacuated spontaneously after the earthquake, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

A tsunami warning was immediately issued before being lifted. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated that it was no longer detecting a significant rise in sea level that could threaten coastal populations. Nelly Florida Riama, deputy director of geophysics at the BMKG, however, warned that aftershocks "continued to occur." "We urge the public to remain calm, not to be influenced by irresponsible rumors, and to stay informed through official BMKG channels," she added.

The tremors were felt in several districts of East Lesser Sunda Islands province, including Nagekeo, Sikka, and Western Manggarai, as well as in the city and district of Bima. Reports were also received in the districts of Jeneponto, Selayar Islands, and Maros in South Sulawesi.

A second earthquake, measuring 6,9 on the Richter scale, struck Pematangsiantar in western Sumatra at a depth of approximately 183 kilometers. Deep earthquakes generally cause less damage than shallow ones, as the intensity of the shaking decreases with distance from the epicenter. Authorities are still assessing the impact of this second quake.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered her condolences to the families of the victims and announced that the European Union was ready to mobilize its Copernicus observation satellites to support rescue teams. "From solidarity to action, Europe is ready to deploy Copernicus, our eyes in the sky, to support search and rescue operations," she wrote on X.