Powerful Earthquake Hits Indonesia: Buildings Collapse, Casualties Reported

A powerful earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Flores early on Friday morning, at around 5:00 a.m. local time (11:00 p.m. Prague time). Rescue teams are working to pull people from the rubble of buildings damaged by the main shock and dozens of aftershocks that followed.

According to the BBC, the quake's epicenter was located at a depth of 15 kilometers. Shortly after the initial jolt, residents in the same area felt another strong tremor, measuring magnitude 6.1.

Collapse at the Port, Panic on the Gangway

Footage filmed at the port in the city of Maumere shows large chunks of concrete breaking off a building and falling onto people waiting to board a ferry for an inter-island crossing. Some passengers ended up in the water after the gangway leading to the vessel collapsed in the middle of the evacuation.

Authorities issued a tsunami warning, which was lifted roughly three hours after the first tremor.

Officials Urge Calm

Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has called on the public to stay calm and avoid coastal areas. "Residents should also avoid entering buildings, especially those already showing cracks or structural damage," the agency said in a statement.

BNPB says specialists are currently carrying out a rapid assessment of the situation to determine the number of casualties and the extent of the damage. The agency has promised to release this information once the data has been verified.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz