Rescuers Dig Through Rubble in Flores After Deadly 7.7 Quake

Rescue teams in the Indonesian town of Maumere were sifting through the rubble of collapsed buildings on Saturday after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Flores island, leaving at least two people dead and several others injured.

The quake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was located 68 kilometers (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. Several aftershocks followed the initial tremor.

Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere search and rescue office, said teams had recovered three victims in the town. "One is dead and the two others are badly injured," he told reporters, adding that officials were still awaiting casualty reports from other affected areas.

Indonesia's disaster management agency said preliminary reports indicated at least two residents were killed and two others injured as the earthquake caused severe structural damage and building collapses.

Authorities initially issued a tsunami warning but later lifted it after the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would threaten coastal communities.

Local television footage showed patients being evacuated from several hospitals as a precaution. Medical staff moved beds, IV stands and oxygen cylinders outdoors, setting up temporary treatment areas to cope with the emergency.

The Flores region is no stranger to seismic activity, sitting on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plate movements frequently trigger earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.