Powerful 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Indonesia's Flores Island, Leaving Over a Dozen Dead and Forcing Mass Evacuations

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Flores on Saturday morning, killing more than a dozen people, damaging buildings, and forcing panicked residents to flee their homes.

The earthquake struck around 6 a.m. local time, about 68 kilometers (42 miles) northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and was followed by a series of aftershocks. At least 14 people were killed, Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency BNPB said, noting that the quake’s full toll is still being assessed. A tsunami warning was initially issued but later lifted, it said. Some waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) high were recorded in Maurole, Ende, according to Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology and geophysical agency.

The quake was felt across Flores, a lush and mountainous island in the Sunda chain, which also includes tourist hotspot Bali. Flores is known for its colorful volcanic lakes and as a gateway to Komodo National Park, home of the largest lizards on Earth. Its population of roughly 2 million is largely spread out across small villages.

Health care facilities, schools, government offices and more than 50 homes were damaged in the earthquake, BNPB said. Videos posted to social media showed buildings collapsing and panicked residents running and screaming, as dust filled the sky. One video showed damage to a hospital in the village of Aeramo.

Theresia Uta, 52, told CNN she had just finished breakfast in the coastal town of Maumere when the earthquake hit. She ran outside and held onto a tree in the yard for 10 minutes, until the shaking stopped. “Although I have experienced several earthquakes on Flores island before, this was by far the strongest and longest earthquake I have ever experienced. The shaking was extremely powerful and violent,” she said. She added that she quickly got in her car to evacuate, noting that roads have been blocked due to several landslides.

Students at the Roman Catholic St. Peter Major Seminary in the coastal village of Sikka were attending morning Mass when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, causing people to flee in panic, the seminary’s rector Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga said, according to the Associated Press. “Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,” Tanga said. “At least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building during the quake.”

A 51-year-old resident of the town of Talibura said the quake was “massive,” and forced her family to rush out of their home. “The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family. There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves,” the resident, Nona, told the news agency Reuters.

A 16-year-old living in the same area said it was the first time he had felt such a strong earthquake, adding he immediately ran to higher ground. “I was shocked because of the earthquake. I was sleeping,” Yoan Rinto told Reuters. “Yes, am still panicking, still worrying a lot.”

About 2,000 residents of Nagekeo regency evacuated following the quake, as a precautionary measure, BNPB said.

The agency deployed a helicopter along with its emergency response team, noting that the landscape of the area, which consists of many islands, makes access challenging. Footage from the national search and rescue agency shared by CNN Indonesia showed rescue workers digging through rubble, searching for possible survivors.

An archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is prone to seismic activity and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in the past. The Southeast Asian nation sits on the Ring of Fire, a band around the Pacific Ocean that sets off frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

This is a developing story and will be updated.