At least 38 people were killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, and a series of smaller earthquakes struck Indonesia on Saturday.
The initial quake struck Indonesia’s Flores region shortly before 5:00 a.m. local time and occurred at a depth of 35 km, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
Soon after 5:00 a.m., another earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 and a depth of 10 km shook the same region.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), throughout the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, a series of smaller earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 4.9 to 5.3 continued to hit the area.
Shortly before 6:00 p.m. local time, another tremor with a magnitude of 6.4 struck Indonesia’s northern Sumatra.
Indonesia mobilizes government agencies in response to earthquakes
According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB), several government ministries and agencies have been mobilized in response to the seismic activity to assess damage and locate individuals trapped underneath rubble.
Gerak Cepat Pemerintah Pusat Membantu Penanganan Darurat Pascagempa M7.7 NTT
Pemerintah pusat melakukan rapat koordinasi untuk memastikan penanganan darurat gempa bumi M7.7 berjalan optimal. Sejumlah kementerian dan lembaga juga secara pararel telah bergerak menuju lokasi… pic.twitter.com/pr2Iem4986
— BNPB Indonesia (@BNPB_Indonesia) August 15, 2026
BNPB stated that the disaster response is prioritizing the evacuation and rescue of those who may be trapped and the treatment of the wounded.
Reuters contributed to this report.
