Earthquake off Flores in Indonesia - at least 38 dead

The quake occurred in the sea off the island of Flores, at a depth of 10 kilometers, shortly before 6 a.m. local time.

The earthquake was followed by several strong aftershocks – the strongest had a magnitude of 6.1 according to the USGS.

Several dead

The earthquake was felt over large parts of Floresön.

- Suddenly it started shaking and I panicked. Patients fled the hospital, Lukas Lotar, who works at a hospital, told AFP.

- I saw cracks in several walls, he added.

38 people are confirmed to have died, according to Indonesian authorities.

"Power outages in cities and villages have limited the flow of information and complicated search and rescue efforts," says police chief Rudi Darmoko according to AP.

A tsunami warning was issued

A tsunami warning was initially issued in several of the country's provinces and residents along the affected coasts were urged to quickly seek higher ground. According to AFP, hundreds of people have been forced to evacuate.

The warning was later lifted by Indonesian authorities.

However, people were still advised to stay away from beaches and coastal areas and to avoid entering buildings, especially those that already had cracks or structural damage.

Indonesia is often hit by earthquakes because the country lies along the so-called Ring of Fire, an area in the Pacific Ocean where several large continental plates meet and collide.