A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores region on Saturday, killing at least 38 people, followed hours later by a 6.8-magnitude quake in northern Sumatra, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

Indonesia experienced two significant seismic events on Saturday as a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Flores region in eastern Indonesia in the early morning hours, followed by a 6.8-magnitude quake in northern Sumatra later that day. The initial earthquake, which occurred around 3:28am IST with its epicentre located at 8.557°S latitude and 121.181°E longitude, resulted in at least 38 fatalities according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The second tremor, which struck at a depth of 158 kilometers, compounded the region's difficulties as rescue operations were still underway from the first event.

The powerful initial quake triggered substantial damage across the affected areas. Landslides blocked road access to Nagekeo, the region nearest to the epicentre, preventing rescue teams from reaching the area immediately. According to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency, approximately 2,000 residents evacuated their homes to temporary shelters, while 13 people sustained injuries, including two classified as serious. Search and rescue personnel reported two villagers were believed buried under mud from landslides triggered by the earthquake.

Witnesses described the intensity of the shaking. One 51-year-old resident from Talibura told Reuters that the earthquake was severe enough to jolt her household of 13 people from rest and send everyone fleeing. Images and videos shared on social media documented the destruction, showing collapsed buildings, dense dust clouds rising from rubble, and residents rushing into streets as the ground shook. The earthquake also disrupted power supplies and communications in parts of the affected region, further hampering initial response efforts. Rescue and relief operations continued across the country as authorities assessed the full extent of the damage.