A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 47 people and injuring an unknown number, according to the nation's disaster mitigation agency. The death toll has been rising as search and rescue operations commenced.
The quake hit the island of Flores shortly before 5 a.m. local time, with a shallow depth of 15 kilometers, increasing its potential for destruction. Dozens of aftershocks followed, including one measuring 6.1. Later on Saturday, a separate magnitude 6.4 earthquake was felt in western Indonesia.
Hundreds of buildings across the affected region sustained damage. In the port of Maumere, video captured concrete debris falling from a terminal building onto passengers, with some falling into the sea as a gangway collapsed.
Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, stated that some victims were killed in their sleep by collapsing structures. Search and rescue efforts are currently focused on Flores, an island in eastern Indonesia, to find survivors.