Over 40 dead, hundreds flee as 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia
At least 47 people were killed, while hundreds fled their homes for safety as a deadly magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit the coast of the Indonesian island of Flores in the early hours of Saturday.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck at about 6:00 a.m. local time, about 68 kilometres (42 miles) northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.
Footage of buildings collapsing as the earthquake ripped through Indonesia, causing many people to scamper for safety, emerged on social media.
The head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, Suharyanto, confirmed that the earthquake had killed over 38 people in three regencies: Sikka, Manggarai and East Manggarai. However, rescue efforts are ongoing to pull people out of the rubble in the affected areas.
Indonesia’s earthquake comes after waves of deadly earthquakes rocked Venezuela and Colombia in recent months, killing thousands.
In June, Venezuela was hit by twin earthquakes, in which over 5,000 people lost their lives, while buildings and infrastructure were badly damaged. Similarly, at least 287 people were killed in a deadly earthquake in Colombia.
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