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Thousands displaced by deadly Indonesia earthquake as rescue efforts continue

Latest update from BBC World: Hundreds of homes and public buildings have been severely damaged with at least 53 people killed. Around 5,000 people have been displaced by a powerful earthquake in Indonesia that has caused at least 53 fatalities. Rescuers continue to search for survivors of the shallow magnitude 7.7 quake, which struck the island of Flores shortly before 05:00 local time on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday). Preliminary reports indicate more than 900 homes and hundreds of other buildings have been severely damaged by the tremor and 341 subsequent aftershocks, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said. The full scale of the disaster is still being uncovered, with news of a second magnitude 6.9 earthquake elsewhere in Indonesia serving as a reminder of why this region is called the ring of fire. The initial earthquake, which occurred just 15km below the surface, was the south-east Asian nation's deadliest since 2022, when hundreds of people were killed in West Java.

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Scoop News DeskIndonesia · Published Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 8:23 AM UTCUpdated Monday, August 17, 2026 at 4:51 PM UTC

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Tremors were reportedly felt by residents as far west as Bima, the BNPB said, but the Manggarai province was among the most affected. The earthquake struck around 600 miles (1,000km) away from Bali Rescue teams worked tirelessly through the day to free those trapped under the rubble While a tsunami warning was initially issued - leading some 2,000 people to self-evacuate - it was lifted around three hours after the initial jolt, when no significant sea level rise was detected.

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Version 2updated
Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 12:47 PM UTC
Latest update from BBC World: Hundreds of homes and public buildings have been severely damaged with at least 53 people killed. Around 5,000 people have been displaced by a powerful earthquake in Indonesia that has caused at least 53 fatalities. Rescuers continue to search for survivors of the shallow magnitude 7.7 quake, which struck the island of Flores shortly before 05:00 local time on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday). Preliminary reports indicate more than 900 homes and hundreds of other buildings have been severely damaged by the tremor and 341 subsequent aftershocks, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said. The full scale of the disaster is still being uncovered, with news of a second magnitude 6.9 earthquake elsewhere in Indonesia serving as a reminder of why this region is called the ring of fire. The initial earthquake, which occurred just 15km below the surface, was the south-east Asian nation's deadliest since 2022, when hundreds of people were killed in West Java.
Version 3unpublished
Monday, August 17, 2026 at 4:51 PM UTC
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