A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck offshore of Flores Island, Indonesia, at 4:58 a.m. local time on August 15, 2026, with an epicenter about 68 kilometers northwest of Ende city in East Nusa Tenggara province [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Depth estimates vary: U.S. and local agencies put it at 10 to 15 km, while the Chinese Seismic Network suggests 20 km [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 6].

The quake triggered a tsunami warning covering East and West Nusa Tenggara as well as parts of Sulawesi, issued by the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The warning was later lifted. Multiple aftershocks followed, including strong ones measuring magnitude 5.6 and 5.9 [8, 6].

The earthquake caused widespread structural damage across several towns. About 160 houses as well as dozens of schools, health centers, and public buildings were damaged [9]. In Maumere, a passenger waiting room at the Pelni seaport collapsed, forcing hundreds of travelers to flee. Local resident Yohanna Embu said, “Many buildings here were damaged. I saw the passenger waiting room at Maumere's Pelni port collapsed” [3]. Fathur Rahma, a search and rescue leader, added that “hundreds of passengers fled as a ship was docked, and rescue teams are searching the collapsed buildings for trapped victims” [3].

Other affected towns include Ende, Sikka, and Manggarai. A local resident, Theresia Uta, described the quake: “Although I have experienced several earthquakes in Flores, this was the strongest and longest lasting, with violent shaking” [8]. A landslide blocked a highway in East Nusa Tenggara, complicating rescue efforts [8].

Authorities confirmed at least 47 people dead and around 50 injured, with others still trapped under rubble [8, 9]. Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s BNPB disaster agency, said the damaged buildings “will be the initial search areas” for victims [9]. Approximately 500,000 people felt very strong shaking, according to the USGS PAGER rapid assessment [2, 7, 8].

The Indonesian government delivered about 50,000 aid packages weighing 275 tons to the disaster zone. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies prepared support for roughly 2,000 displaced persons [9].

On the same day, a separate magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck in North Sumatra at a depth of 158 km [10].

Rescue and relief operations are ongoing as authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage and search for survivors [9].