Indonesia: 7.7 magnitude earthquake kills 20 off Flores coast

Herz — World Desk · 15 August 2026 at 05:55 · 30s summary · 2 min read

What we know

The earthquake struck Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 5:58 local time, or 21:58 GMT, off Flores island.

According to France 24, its epicenter was located 68 kilometers from Ende, in East Nusa Tenggara province. It struck at shallow depth.

This location was confirmed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a U.S. government agency dedicated to Earth sciences and seismic monitoring.

Fathur Rahman, head of rescue and search operations in Maumere, reported a death toll of 20 people with six injured. Two others remained buried.

Thousands evacuate coastal areas

The earthquake prompted thousands of residents to leave coastal zones over fears of rising waters.

In northern Flores, residents fled the shoreline. Some homes lost entire sections of their facades.

Before the alert was lifted, authorities ordered residents to leave coastal areas or move to higher ground.

These orders applied specifically to northern Flores, southern zones and outlying islands.

Tsunami alert lifted

Indonesian authorities first warned of tsunami risk with potential waves of 0.5 to 3 meters.

The warning covered East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara provinces, as well as South Sulawesi.

Authorities subsequently lifted the alert, though they maintained ongoing sea level monitoring.

Multiple aftershocks recorded

Several aftershocks followed the main quake. One reached 6.1 magnitude.

Recent timeline

1. Early July 2026
   A 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia with no reported deaths or major damage.
2. August 15, 2026, 5:58 local time
   A 7.7 magnitude quake strikes off Flores.
3. After the quake
   Authorities issue tsunami alert and call on residents to evacuate coastal areas.
4. After the alert
   Warning is lifted, though sea level monitoring continues.