About 2,000 residents in Nagekeo were evacuated with damage reported to a number of buildings.
Arnold Welianto, who lives in Talibura village, Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, told the BBC that he was still asleep when he felt the “very strong shaking”.
“I was startled awake and immediately went to my child’s room,” he said.
“Once we were outside, residents in our neighbourhood, which is located close to the shoreline, had already fled their homes and were heading toward the hills and crowding the roads, while some other residents were standing along the roadside because the sea had also receded.”
“The water remained low for quite some time, so everyone panicked and ran – I went around to the community health centre, and the people there had already been evacuated.”
Welianto said many residents were choosing to remain outdoors because of the earthquake, and ongoing aftershocks meant they were afraid to return home.