A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia, near the island of Flores.
The earthquake occurred on Friday, August 14, at 9:58 p.m., at a depth of 10. The epicenter was located 68 kilometers from the city of Ende, in East Nusa Tenggara province, on the island of Flores.
In the coastal area, dozens of buildings were destroyed or damaged. During the night, the death toll rose by the hour. According to reports, the number of victims is at least 20.
“The first two reported victims were a man and a woman, then other deaths were confirmed,” Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, a spokesman for the agency responsible for disaster management, told media in Jakarta.
“We will officially announce the final number of victims and the extent of damage caused to buildings by the earthquake as soon as we have the data,” he added.