There is no threat to Sri Lanka from the powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Flores today, the Disaster Management Centre said.
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Saturday morning, damaging buildings and shocking residents awake, forcing them to flee their homes.
At least one person was killed, according to the national disaster mitigation agency BNPB, which revised down an earlier toll of two.
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.
It initially had the potential to generate a tsunami, triggering a warning which was later lifted, BNPB said.
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.
The quake was felt across Flores, a lush and mountainous island in the Sunda chain, which also includes tourist hotspot Bali. Flores is known for its colorful volcanic lakes and as a gateway to Komodo National Park, home of the largest lizards on Earth. Its population of roughly 2 million is largely spread out in small villages.
Videos posted to social media showed buildings collapsing and panicked residents running and screaming, as dust filled the sky. One video showed damage to a hospital in the village of Aeramo.
About 2,000 residents of Nageko regency evacuated following the quake, as a precautionary measure, BNPB said.
The agency deployed a helicopter along with its emergency response team, noting that the landscape of the area, which consists of many islands, makes access challenging.
Footage from the national search and rescue agency shared by CNN Indonesia showed rescue workers digging through rubble, searching for possible survivors.
A preliminary damage assessment found about 15 buildings had been damaged, including homes and government offices, BNPB said.
An archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is prone to seismic activity and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in the past. The country sits on the Ring of Fire, a band around the Pacific Ocean that sets off frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The ring is one of the most seismically active areas in the world, spanning from Japan and Indonesia on one side of the Pacific to California and South America on the other. (Newswire/CNN)