A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Flores Saturday morning, damaging homes and prompting villagers to flee.
The earthquake struck around 6 a.m. local time, about 68 kilometers northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and was followed by a series of aftershocks.
Indonesia’s national geophysics agency issued a tsunami warning – which was later lifted – and urged residents to seek higher ground, and stay away from beaches and coastlines, according to the Associated Press.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
About 500,000 people were exposed to very strong or severe shaking, which is capable of slight to moderate damage in well-built structures and serious damage in poorly built structures, according to the USGS.
