DIVYA DELHI : A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, August 15, triggering panic across parts of Flores Island and leaving at least 38 people dead, according to initial reports. The strong tremor caused buildings to collapse, damaged homes and roads, and triggered landslides in several areas. The earthquake was centered off the coast of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province and was followed by numerous aftershocks. Thousands of residents were evacuated from vulnerable areas as authorities launched search-and-rescue operations. Around 2,000 people had been evacuated in the initial response, while emergency teams worked to reach communities cut off by landslides and damaged roads. A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the earthquake, prompting coastal residents to move to safer locations. The alert was later lifted after authorities found no dangerous sustained sea-level rise, although tsunami waves were recorded in some areas. Rescue and relief operations remain underway, with officials assessing the full scale of the damage. Indonesia, located along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” frequently experiences powerful earthquakes and volcanic activity.
