00:22A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Indonesia,
00:28killing at least two people, collapsing buildings, and triggering a tsunami warning across several provinces.
00:38And as the ground shook near Floris Island, residents ran for safety while authorities ordered coastal communities to move to
00:47higher ground.
00:52The earthquake struck early Saturday morning in the Floris region.
00:56According to the U.S. Geological Survey, it hit at around 5.58 a.m. local time at a shallow
01:05depth of just 10 kilometers beneath the sea.
01:08The epicenter was located around 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende in Indonesia's East Nusatenggara province.
01:17And the shallow offshore location immediately raised fears of a tsunami.
01:24Indonesia's geophysics agency, BMKG, issued a tsunami warning covering parts of East Nusatenggara, West Nusatenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi.
01:38Residents were told to stay away from beaches and riverbanks and move to higher ground.
01:46Authorities specifically urged people along the coast to evacuate immediately, either by moving more than 2 kilometers inland or heading
01:56to areas more than 10 meters above sea level.
01:59The warning came as a series of aftershocks followed the main earthquake.
02:05And dramatic videos appearing on social media show the impact of the shaking.
02:11Buildings can be seen crumbling and collapsing while people nearby run away from the danger.
02:17However, the authenticity of some of these videos has not been independently verified.
02:25The scale of the destruction was still becoming clear when officials confirmed the first deaths.
02:32Two people have been killed, according to disaster agency spokesman Burton Suar Palita Panjaitin.
02:39Officials say the final casualty numbers and the full extent of damage will be announced once the data is confirmed.
02:47Among the most alarming reports came from a seminary on Flores.
02:52Students at St. Peter Major Seminary in Sica were attending morning mass when they suddenly fled after the roof of
03:00an assembly hall collapsed.
03:02The rector said students and nuns ran out in panic as the structure came down.
03:07At least one priest reportedly suffered a broken leg after jumping from the second floor during the earthquake.
03:14For now, authorities are closely monitoring coastal tide gauges for any changes that could signal tsunami activity.
03:23Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
03:28The country is made up of more than 17,000 islands and sits along the Pacific Basin's Ring of Fire,
03:35one of the world's most active zones for earthquakes and volcanoes.
03:40So tonight, the focus remains on evacuation, aftershocks, and the search for the full extent of the damage.
03:47A 7.7 magnitude earthquake has already claimed lives, and authorities are warning residents not to return to vulnerable coastal
03:58areas until the danger has passed.
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