A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on August 15, 2026, killing at least 53 people, injuring more than 100, and displacing thousands, according to Indonesia's national disaster management agency.
Rescue crews spent August 16 digging through collapsed structures and clearing debris from landslides. The agency said the quake set off landslides across six regencies, all on Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in a country that is otherwise Muslim-majority. Teams were still working to reach people feared to be buried beneath that debris.
The agency placed the heaviest death toll in Manggarai regency, where at least 24 people died. At least 17 fatalities were recorded in East Manggarai regency. Additional deaths were confirmed in Sikka, Ngada, and Ende regencies.
BBC News had earlier put the death toll at 47 and reported that hundreds of buildings were destroyed. Officials also launched a rapid assessment of the quake's full impact, BBC said.
The Guardian reported the confirmed death count had risen to at least 53, with search operations ongoing for those still unaccounted for under landslide rubble.