Magnitude

A powerful earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia has killed at least 51 people and forced about 5,000 people to evacuate, as rescue teams work to clear roads blocked by landslides and reach survivors still trapped under rubble.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 5:58am local time on Saturday (21:58 GMT, Friday), with its epicentre about 68km (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende, on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara province, according to the US Geological Survey, which put the depth at 10km (6.2 miles).

The earthquake, followed by some 341 aftershocks, is one of Indonesia’s deadliest in years.

A total of 36 people were seriously injured and 77 more suffered minor injuries, Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus told a televised meeting on Sunday.

More than 3,300 people in Sikka regency, one of the hard-hit areas, either fled their homes or were left stranded, taking shelter in a sports arena, according to Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB.

“The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family,” Nona, a 51-year-old resident of Talibura village, told the Reuters news agency. “There were 13 of us inside the house, and we all ran to save ourselves.”

In the port town of Maumere, some residents camped outside collapsed homes under tarpaulin tents, while others received treatment in a makeshift tent outside a local hospital.

“Almost all of Sikka’s residents didn’t dare stay indoors, so they slept on a porch or a tent outside,” Simon Sabandi, the region’s deputy chief, told news channel KompasTV.

Lieutenant General Suharyanto, the BNPB head, said the earthquake destroyed at least 157 houses and damaged nearly 200 more, forcing about 2,000 villagers in Nagekeo regency, the area closest to the epicentre, into temporary shelters.

He said three helicopters and a rescue vessel had been deployed to support the emergency response in a region where the scattered geography of small islands makes access difficult.

East Nusa Tenggara police chief Rudi Darmoko said the disaster had caused severe damage and building collapses across the province.

Rescue teams have yet to fully reach Nagekeo, where landslides have blocked roads and disrupted communications, said Fathur Rahman, head of the local search and rescue agency in Maumere, adding that a team was attempting to reach the area by ferry.

More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed overall, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said. More than 1,300 homes have been damaged, and 20 petrol stations remain shut due to power outages, according to state energy firm Pertamina.

Officials are considering declaring a state of emergency for East Nusa Tenggara, which would unlock further resources and funding.

A tsunami warning issued immediately after the earthquake has since been lifted.

Reporting from Jakarta, Al Jazeera’s Jessica Washington said aftershocks could continue for “several days”, with authorities in the island’s northern areas ordering further evacuations as the true scale of the damage is still “emerging”.

She said several affected areas remain inaccessible to first responders and that local authorities have urged residents to stay away from shorelines and damaged buildings.

The same stretch of coastline was struck by a similarly powerful earthquake in December 1992, when the quake and the tsunami it triggered killed more than 2,500 people on Flores, Indonesia’s geophysics agency said.

Indonesia, a nation of some 290 million people spread across roughly 17,000 islands, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, making it one of the world’s most seismically active countries.

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.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Emergency teams are still assessing the impact of the quake that was felt across the region.

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck western Colombia and neighbouring countries, prompting widespread evacuations.

The earthquake struck on Monday near the municipality of San Jose del Palmar in Colombia’s Choco region, about 400km (250 miles) west of the capital, Bogota, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s geological service. Colombia had initially put its magnitude at 6.6 on the Richter scale.

The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of about 107km (66 miles). The US tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami warning.

“We have just experienced a major earthquake in the department of Choco. We are concerned about aftershocks,” Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi said on X. “Although the epicentre was near San Jose del Palmar, there are injuries and significant damage to buildings in the capital, Quibdo. We are already carrying out a damage assessment and will issue the first official report shortly.”

Authorities in Colombia and Ecuador urged residents in affected areas to remain alert as emergency teams assessed the quake’s impact.

In the capital, Bogotá, the earthquake triggered car and building alarms as people fled into the street.

Bogota Mayor Carlos Galán said on social media shortly after the earthquake that there were no reports of injuries, and only some cracks in buildings.

“No serious structural damage has been reported in Bogota, so our resources are at the service of the country,” Galan wrote. “We stand in solidarity with the affected cities. We will continue to address this emergency and provide assistance as needed.”

News outlets aired footage of buildings also destroyed in cities such as Pereira and Manizales in a tourist region called Eje Cafetero.

The mayor of Pereira, Colombia, said that 18 people had died there.

Two people are dead in Manizales, the Associated Press reported.

In Medellin, the earthquake prompted evacuation sirens from apartment buildings, with people fleeing their homes wearing pajamas or, simply, a wrapped-around towel. No full collapses were reported in the city, nor casualties. Mayor Federico Gutierrez of Medellin suspended the normal operation of the city’s metro, citing necessary checks for infrastructural damage.

Small towns on the outskirts of Medellín report structural damage including caved-in roofs and fractured walls.

In Cali, which is southwest of Bogota, at least 25 buildings collapsed, and authorities on the ground have confirmed “at least one casualty”. Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed the installation of a Unified Command Center in the city, and pleaded for support from “sister cities” Medellin and Bogota.

The quake comes weeks after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in late June, killing more than 6,000 people and destroying hundreds of buildings. The tremors, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, were among the deadliest earthquakes to hit the region in recent years.

June 7 (UPI) — Emergency officials said damage assessments were underway early Monday in the Philippines after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake jolted Sarangani province in the southern island of Minanao.

The powerful quake came at 7:37 a.m. local time and was centered about 20 miles west of of the town of Maasim at a depth of 20 miles.

The Office of Civil Defense received early reports of major damage to infrastructure in the area although no official verification of casualties had yet been received.

“There are reports of major damage in various infrastructure,” agency officials told reporters. “Electricity and communications are affected as well. Evacuation is also ongoing in affected coastal areas.”

Most of the affected areas are in Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings that waves of up to 10 feet were possible in some areas of the Philippines while waves up to 3 feet could strike parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

No danger of tsunamis was imminent for the coasts of the United States or Canada, the center said.

Philippines President Bongbong Marcos said he has instructed all relevant government agencies to “act immediately,” including setting up evacuation centers and assessing damage to roads, bridges and critical infrastructure.

Marcos also ordered the suspension of classes in all levels across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice, adding, “The safety of our children comes first.

“Please heed the tsunami warning,” he urged. “Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind.”

Tsunami warnings have been issued across Asia following an 8.2 magnitude earthquake off the Philippines.

Authorities in Indonesia, Philippines and Japan early on Monday issued warnings of tsunami waves following the powerful quake.

The quake struck off the island of Mindanao shortly before 7:40 am local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The US government agency advised people in affected areas to get out of the water and move away from beaches and harbours.

More to follow…