Buildings collapsed like cards in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia. There is a possibility of many people dying in this earthquake. Tsunami alert has been issued after the earthquake. People in the coastal areas have been asked to move to higher places.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia early Saturday morning, damaging many buildings and houses and prompting a tsunami warning. In such a strong earthquake, buildings collapsed like cards. Looking at the scene of devastation, it can be guessed that many people might have died in the earthquake. However, no official data has been released yet regarding the death.
The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers in the Flores region of Indonesia at 5:58 am local time. Its epicenter was 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende city in East Nusa Tenggara province. The initial earthquake was followed by several aftershocks.
Tsunami alert issued
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi provinces and urged people to stay away from beaches and river banks. Residents of coastal areas affected by the earthquake have been advised to move to higher places. Officials are keeping a close eye on coastal tide gauge instruments to detect any changes.
Earthquake tremors were felt in most parts of Flores island. According to initial reports, houses and public facilities were damaged, but officials have not yet released any information about the estimated number of damaged buildings or any casualties. Yohana Embu, a resident of Sikka regency in East Nusa Tenggara province, said the strong tremors damaged many buildings and sent people running outside in panic.
ring of fire
“Many buildings here have been damaged… I saw that the waiting room of the Peleni port terminal in Maumere collapsed,” he said. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of about 17,000 islands, is vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its location on the ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific Ocean region. The ‘Ring of Fire’ is a region spread around the Pacific Ocean where the world’s most active volcanoes and earthquakes occur. In December 1992, a tsunami caused by a magnitude-7 earthquake killed about 2,500 people on the island of Flores.
