Overview
- The quake struck off northern Flores at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometres Saturday, with the USGS placing the epicentre roughly 68 km north‑northwest of Ende.
- Indonesia’s meteorological agency issued a broad tsunami warning after the tremor then lifted it hours later as sea gauges recorded localized waves up to about 1.61 metres.
- Official tolls have risen rapidly into the 40s–50s with rescuers recovering dozens of bodies, scores injured, and reports that whole villages and homes have been buried or toppled.
- Authorities say hundreds of aftershocks followed, rescue teams have deployed helicopters and a vessel, and operations are being slowed by landslides, roadblocks and outages that leave some areas unreachable.
- Thousands of people have been displaced and more than a thousand homes damaged, prompting officials to consider declaring a state of emergency to unlock more resources and aid.