JAKARTA, Aug 17 — Two more moderate earthquakes struck waters around Flores Island in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province early today, two days after a deadly magnitude 7.7 quake struck the area.
According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) website's data, the latest tremor, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake, occurred at 7.46am local time, with its epicentre in the sea about 40km northeast of Nagekeo at a depth of 10km.
Tremors were felt across several parts of East Nusa Tenggara, including Nagekeo, Ende, Manggarai, Ngada, and East Manggarai.
Earlier, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck at 12.26am, with its epicentre in the sea about 75 km northeast of Ruteng in Manggarai, also at a depth of 10km.
BMKG said that both earthquakes had no potential to trigger a tsunami and advised residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks.
The two earthquakes occurred two days after Saturday’s (August 15) deadly earthquake struck off the island early in the morning, killing at least 53 people, injuring 135 others, and causing widespread damage across East Nusa Tenggara.
Yesterday, the National Disaster Management Agency's deputy for prevention Abdul Muhari said that BMKG had recorded 995 aftershocks as of 3 pm local time, although only a small number were felt by residents.
An earlier report said 9,290 people remained at evacuation sites as of midnight Saturday, as continued aftershocks, concerns over damaged homes and lingering trauma from the devastating 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami prompted some residents to stay away from their homes.
