Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Flores Island, Indonesia; 53 dead, thousands displaced

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 17, 2026

Photo courtesy: AFP News Agency

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island in Indonesia on Saturday morning, killing at least 50 people so far, as search and rescue operations continue in collapsed buildings.

About 5,000 residents were forced to evacuate, while the powerful earthquake damaged hundreds of homes and public buildings.

This is what the magnitude 7.7 earthquake left behind after it struck Flores Island in eastern Indonesia in the early hours of Saturday.

The quake was recorded before 5 a.m. local time, at a depth of 15 kilometers.

Its epicenter was in the ocean off the north coast of Flores Island, and the shaking was felt as far as Bima on Sumbawa Island.

Manggarai and Sikka were among the areas that suffered the most damage.

The confirmed death toll from the earthquake has reached 53, while more than 100 people were injured.

Some of the victims were asleep when their homes and other structures collapsed on top of them.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing to look for other possible survivors of the disaster.

More than 1,000 houses were damaged in Flores, including at least 900 that were severely destroyed.

More than 100 public buildings were also hit, including schools, government offices, and health facilities.

Among them is Ruteng Regional Hospital in Manggarai, where parts of the ceiling in the operating room and clinics collapsed.

Because of this, some patients were evacuated, and makeshift medical tents were set up outside the hospital so treatment could continue.

In East Manggarai, collapsed roofs, cracked walls, and scattered debris were also clearly visible.

Because of the damage, some residents are afraid to return to their homes.

About 5,000 people evacuated or were forced to leave their homes because of the strength of the earthquake.

Many headed to higher ground after the water receded along some coastlines and authorities issued a tsunami warning.

Waves reaching 1.6 meters were recorded in some coastal areas.

The tsunami warning was lifted after roughly three hours, but residents were still advised to stay away from damaged structures.

Flores continues to be shaken by aftershocks.

More than 300 aftershocks were immediately recorded, including strong ones reaching magnitude 5.9, magnitude 5.6, and magnitude 6.1.

A few hours after the Flores earthquake, another magnitude 6.9 earthquake was recorded in northern Sumatra.

A few hours before the magnitude 7.7 earthquake, an ash emission reaching about 5 kilometers was also recorded from Mount Ibu volcano in Halmahera.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates meet, making the country prone to powerful earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Meanwhile, the government has sent 50,000 aid packages, or about 275 tons of assistance, for affected communities.

Helicopters, planes, naval vessels, and search and rescue ships were also deployed, while more than 3,500 military personnel and police were sent to the affected areas.

Among the immediate needs of evacuees are food, water, medicine, clean water, tents, and electricity, as authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage.

A year of strong earthquakes worldwide

Before the earthquake in Indonesia, several strong earthquakes had already been recorded in different parts of the world this year.

On March 24, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck near the Vava’u Islands in Tonga.

Nearly a month later, a magnitude 7.4 undersea earthquake was recorded off the Sanriku coast in northeastern Japan on April 20.

On June 8, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the southern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines, said to be the strongest earthquake felt this year.

On June 24, two consecutive strong earthquakes struck Venezuela: a magnitude 7.2, followed by a magnitude 7.5 just 39 seconds later.

Just last Monday, August 10, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook western Colombia, near San Jose del Palmar in the Choco region.

And just five days later, on August 15, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake was felt on Flores Island in Indonesia.

Amid the string of powerful earthquakes, authorities continue to remind the public to stay alert and prepared for the possibility of further shaking.