Jakarta, Aug 15 (SANA) At least twenty people were killed and six others injured after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Flores Island in eastern Indonesia on Saturday, Agence France-Presse reported.
An official in charge of search and rescue operations in Maumere said information received by rescue teams indicated that 20 people had been killed and six others injured, while one person remained trapped under the rubble.
The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics said the earthquake struck off Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province at a depth of about 10 kilometers and was widely felt by residents.
The earthquake initially prompted tsunami warnings for coastal areas in East and West Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi, while several aftershocks were also recorded.
Although the warnings were later lifted, Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) urged residents, particularly those in coastal areas, to remain calm, avoid cracked or damaged buildings and follow instructions from emergency response teams.
Search and rescue teams are continuing operations in the affected areas amid concerns that the death toll could rise.
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