MBAY, INDONESIA, Aug. 15 (World Daily Times) — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Indonesia’s Flores Island on Aug. 15, 2026, prompting a tsunami warning and sending residents toward higher ground. The warning was later lifted, but early reports showed that the disaster’s human and structural toll was still being assessed.
The U.S. Geological Survey placed the epicenter about 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende, in East Nusa Tenggara province. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, known as BMKG, gave a different location: 30 kilometers northeast of Mbay in Nagekeo regency. The agencies also reported different depths, ranging from about 10 to 15 kilometers.
When did the earthquake happen?
The earthquake struck in the early morning. BMKG recorded the event at 4:58:24 a.m. local time, while USGS-based reports gave a time of about 5:58 a.m. The supplied reports do not explain the one-hour difference, which may reflect different time references or agency records.
Why did people evacuate?
BMKG said the earthquake had tsunami potential in East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara. Authorities urged people in coastal areas to move inland or to higher ground and to stay away from beaches, riverbanks and damaged buildings.
BMKG later declared the tsunami warning over after monitoring found no significant threatening changes in sea levels, according to the agency’s statement cited by the BBC and the Associated Press. Residents nevertheless fled after the shaking and warning. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB, reported that about 2,000 people in Nagekeo evacuated or relocated on their own.
BNPB official Abdul Muhari urged people along coastal areas of Flores and nearby southern islands to evacuate immediately. A resident quoted by the BBC said, “everyone panicked and ran.”
How many people were killed or injured?
There was no final casualty count in the supplied agency updates. Early reports attributed to BNPB and rescue officials cited one or two deaths, while later reports gave totals ranging from at least 14 to 20 deaths. Other reports cited injuries and, in one account, two people missing.
The changing figures reflect preliminary assessments conducted after the earthquake. The supplied material does not establish a definitive number of deaths, injuries or missing people.
What damage was reported?
BNPB-based updates reported damage to homes and a range of public buildings, including health facilities, schools, government buildings, places of worship and a warehouse. The reported totals varied between updates, including accounts of more than 50 damaged homes and about 15 damaged buildings.
Search-and-rescue teams were deployed in Maumere and other parts of Flores as officials assessed damage and casualties. Reports also described residents being warned to avoid structures that may have been weakened by the earthquake.
Were there aftershocks?
Yes. Reports cited an aftershock measuring magnitude 6.1. Al Jazeera also reported aftershocks of magnitude 5.9 and 5.6. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow a larger main shock. They can continue for hours, days or longer and may damage buildings already weakened by the first earthquake.
How widely was the shaking felt?
USGS estimates cited in several reports indicated that about 500,000 people were exposed to very strong or severe shaking. The supplied material does not include the agency’s full exposure methodology or a measure of uncertainty, so the figure should be treated as an estimate rather than a precise count.
The affected areas included communities in and around Maumere, Nagekeo, Ende, Sikka, Manggarai and East Manggarai. Australia’s tsunami warning center said the earthquake posed no threat to mainland Australia, its islands or its territories, according to Al Jazeera.
What remains uncertain?
Several basic event details differed among the early reports. USGS-based accounts described a magnitude 7.7 earthquake about 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende, while BMKG placed the event northeast of Mbay-Nagekeo. Reported times differed by an hour, and reported depths ranged from 10 to 15 kilometers. One report citing India’s National Centre for Seismology gave a different magnitude and depth, but those figures were not consistent with the USGS and BMKG information summarized elsewhere.
The death toll, injury count, number of missing people and total property damage were also still changing. The supplied material does not include a final BNPB assessment or a complete official earthquake bulletin. Claims about landslides were reported in some accounts, but the material does not establish that they had been confirmed by a named Indonesian authority.
