At least 38 killed after powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia

At least 38 people were killed after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early Saturday, collapsing buildings, triggering landslides and sending terrified residents fleeing for safety, officials said.

Videos and images circulated on social media showed the scale of the devastation, with buildings reduced to rubble, thick clouds of dust rising from collapsed structures and people running into the streets as powerful shaking swept across the region. Rescue and relief operations are also under way across the country.

Residents were seen gathering outside homes and buildings, while patients were moved out of hospitals as a precaution. Emergency workers also faced blocked roads and damaged infrastructure as they tried to reach affected areas.

“The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family,” said Nona, a 51-year-old resident of Talibura, as quoted by Reuters. There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves," she recounted further.

At least 13 people were injured, including two seriously, while about 2,000 residents fled their homes to temporary shelters, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency. The earthquake also triggered landslides and power outages, with communications disrupted in parts of the affected region.

Rescue teams were yet to reach Nagekeo, the area closest to the epicentre, as landslides blocked road access. At Ritapiret Seminary, students and nuns fled as the roof of an assembly hall collapsed during morning Mass.

“Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,” said Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, the seminary's rector.

A tsunami warning issued for parts of eastern Indonesia was lifted about three hours after the quake. Waves of less than one metre were recorded in several areas. Later, in the afternoon, another 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook the country near Northern Sumatra, according to GFZ.