A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Indonesia on Saturday, hours after a powerful magnitude 7.7 quake hit off the country's eastern coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The initial 7.7 magnitude quake resulted in at least 47 fatalities, with buildings damaged and hundreds evacuated due to tsunami fears.
Emergency crews, including members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, were assessing damage and conducting evacuations. The earthquake, which occurred shortly before 5 a.m. local time, was strongly felt across the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Tsunami warnings were issued by Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, urging people to stay away from beaches, but these alerts later expired. Approximately 2,000 residents in the Nagekeo Regency on Flores island self-evacuated as a precaution.
The epicenter of the initial earthquake was located about 60 kilometers north-northwest of Ende in Indonesia's Flores region, at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers. Several strong aftershocks were reported in the vicinity, including a magnitude 6.1 quake and a 5.9 magnitude quake, both north of Ende. Images from the affected areas show damage to buildings.