Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Strikes Flores, East Nusa Tenggara — At Least 53 Dead

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 5:58am local time on Saturday, August 15, 2026, with its epicenter approximately 68km north-northwest of Ende city on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara province, at a depth of 10km. The quake and roughly 341 aftershocks left at least 53 people dead, 36 seriously injured and 77 with minor injuries, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). More than 1,300 homes were damaged, including at least 157 destroyed, and roughly 5,000 people evacuated as landslides blocked roads to Nagekeo regency near the epicenter, delaying rescue teams. It ranks among Indonesia's deadliest earthquakes in years; some later tallies of the death toll continued to climb as search-and-rescue operations reached isolated villages.