Indonesia 7.7 quake kills 47, 2,000 evacuated on Flores

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Indonesia early Saturday has killed 47 people, the disaster mitigation agency BNBP said in an update at 6:48 p.m. local time. The dead include 24 in Manggarai Regency, 17 in East Manggarai, three in Sikka, one in West Manggarai, one in Ngada and one in Ende.

About 50 people were injured. Roughly 2,000 have been evacuated from the area, which straddles the central stretch of Flores Island.

The quake struck around 5 a.m. local time, its epicenter 40 miles northwest of Ende, a city on Flores's southern coast about 1,000 miles east of Jakarta. A tsunami warning was issued, then lifted. Residents reported waves three feet tall.

Wijayanto, director of earthquake and tsunami affairs at Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, called it one of the largest quakes to hit the region in more than three decades. "An earthquake like this occurred in 1992 with a magnitude of 7.5, causing immense damage," he said in a statement.

BNBP reported 157 houses severely damaged, 41 moderately damaged and 148 lightly damaged. Among public facilities, 87 schools, 18 health centers, five places of worship and six offices were damaged. The agency posted a notification on Instagram.

"We have coordinated with local authorities and deployed a rapid response team to the field to accelerate evacuation efforts," the post said. "I urge the public to remain calm, avoid buildings with cracks or structural damage, stay alert for potential aftershocks, and monitor official information and instructions from BMKG and BNPB channels."

Theresia Uta, 52, told CNN she had just finished breakfast in the coastal town of Maumere when the earthquake hit. She ran outside and held onto a tree in the yard until the shaking stopped, about 10 minutes. "Although I have experienced several earthquakes on Flores island before, this was by far the strongest and longest earthquake I have ever experienced. The shaking was extremely powerful and violent," she said.

Arnold Welianto, who lives in Talibura, Sikka, told the BBC he was awakened by "very strong shaking." He said many residents had already fled into the hills. "Some other residents were standing along the roadside because the sea had also receded," he said. "The water remained low for quite some time, so everyone panicked and ran."

Hours later, a 6.9-magnitude quake hit Northern Sumatra, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 75% of the world's volcanoes and 90% of earthquakes occur. More than 2,000 people died in 2018 when a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the island of Sulawesi. Saturday's quake came four days after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, killing 273.

Southern Company (SO) shares, part of the utility sector, are not expected to face direct operational impact from the Indonesian disaster. The company's regulated utility business in the U.S. Southeast is geographically and operationally insulated from seismic events in Southeast Asia. The stock has an Alpha Score of 42 out of 100, with a mixed label, reflecting neutral near-term momentum and no structural catalysts from the event.