Buildings crumble as powerful 7.7 earthquake strikes off Indonesia

International

PANIC swept parts of Indonesia’s Flores island early Saturday after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck offshore, damaging buildings and prompting residents to flee toward safer ground.

The earthquake struck at around 6 a.m. local time, about 68 kilometers northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A series of aftershocks followed.

Indonesia’s national geophysics agency issued a tsunami warning after the quake, urging residents to move to higher ground and stay away from beaches and coastlines, according to the Associated Press.

The warning was later lifted.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The USGS estimated that about 500,000 people were exposed to very strong or severe shaking. Such shaking can cause slight to moderate damage to well-built structures and serious damage to poorly constructed buildings.

The quake was felt across Flores, a mountainous island in Indonesia’s Sunda chain. Videos posted on social media showed buildings collapsing as residents ran from structures, with dust filling the air.

At the Roman Catholic St. Peter Major Seminary in the coastal village of Sikka, students were attending morning Mass when the roof of an assembly hall collapsed, according to the seminary’s rector, Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, who spoke to the Associated Press.

“Our students and nuns ran out in panic beneath a collapsing roof,” Tanga said, as quoted by CNN.

He also said at least one priest suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor of a building during the quake.

Flores is home to roughly 2 million people, many of whom live in small villages. The island is known for its colorful volcanic lakes and serves as a gateway to Komodo National Park, home to the world’s largest lizards. Tourist destination Bali is also part of the Sunda chain.(MyTVCebu)