Strong 7.7-magnitude quake strikes off Indonesia: USGS

The epicentre of the quake was located off the north coast of the Flores island, Indonesia, about 68 km northwest of Ende, USGS said. Representational image | Photo Credit: deliormanli A strong 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia early on Saturday (August 15, 2026), the U.S. Geological Survey said.The epicentre of the quake was located off the north coast of the island, about 68 km northwest of Ende, USGS said. The quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of just 10 km.The initial quake was followed by two strong aftershocks in the same area, of magnitude 5.6 and 5.9.Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned of the possibility of tsunami waves being generated by the quake.Indonesia and neighbouring countries experience frequent earthquakes due to their location in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” -- an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Published - August 15, 2026 04:55 am IST