Adedokun Waliyu No fewer than 38 people have been confirmed dead after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia.
Tsunami waves were recorded in several areas of the Southeast Asian nation following the early morning tremor.
Fathur Rahman, head of a state rescue agency, said rescue teams had yet to reach Nagekeo, the region closest to the epicentre, because communication signals in the area had been affected.
Rahman said attempts to reach Nagekeo by road were blocked by landslides, while another rescue team was attempting to reach the area by ferry.
The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the earthquake was located off the north coast of Flores Island, at a depth of 10 kilometres.
The initial quake was followed by two strong aftershocks in the same area, measuring 5.6 and 5.9 in magnitude.
Indonesia and neighbouring countries frequently experience earthquakes because of their location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
Indonesian officials fear the death toll could rise and have urged residents to move to higher ground.
Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency, said victims remained trapped in several buildings, while about 2,000 people had been evacuated.
The same area was struck by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake in 1992, which caused extensive destruction.
