Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Indonesia, tsunami warning issued
A powerful magnitude 7.7 quake has struck off the coast of Indonesia. (Representational/File Photo)A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia early on Saturday morning, leading authorities to issue a tsunami warning.
The US Geological Survey said the quake measured 7.7 in magnitude and hit the Flores region at 5:58am local time. The epicentre was about 68km north-northwest of the city of Ende, at a depth of 10km, the agency reported.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre gave a similar reading, recording the quake at 4:58am local time (2158 GMT) at a depth of 35km. It said several aftershocks followed the main quake.
Indonesia’s geophysics agency, BMKG, issued an early tsunami warning for parts of the country. The agency told residents near the coast to move away from beaches and riverbanks and head to higher ground. Officials said they were watching tide gauges along the coast closely for any signs of change.
No deaths or damage have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, Australia’s tsunami warning centre said that the earthquake poses no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.
Story continues below this ad
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a belt of volcanoes and fault lines that makes the country prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. It is made up of more than 17,000 islands.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
