Daijiworld Media Network - Jakarta
Jakarta, Aug 16: A fresh magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Gulf of Tomini in Indonesia on Saturday night, hours after a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit eastern Indonesia, killing at least 38 people and triggering a tsunami warning.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said the latest earthquake occurred at 9:55 pm IST at a depth of 68 km.
“EQ of M: 6.0, On: 15/08/2026 21:55:18 IST, Lat: 0.174 N, Long: 120.312 E, Depth: 68 Km, Location: Gulf of Tomini,” the NCS said in a post on X.
The Gulf of Tomini earthquake came after a series of tremors struck Indonesia on Saturday.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported that a magnitude 6.4 earthquake also struck Northern Sumatra at a depth of 158 km.
Earlier, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia, leaving at least 38 people dead. Several aftershocks were reported following the main quake.
Tsunami waves measuring less than one metre were recorded in several areas following the early morning earthquake. The tsunami warning was lifted around three hours later.
“As of 15:00 (0800 GMT), the recorded figures are 38 fatalities, two people seriously injured, 11 with minor injuries,” Suharyanto, head of Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), said during a televised press conference.
Around 2,000 people had evacuated to safer locations, he said.
Rescue teams had not yet reached Nagekeo, the area closest to the epicentre, as landslides had blocked road access. Communications in the region were also affected, Fathur Rahman, head of the local rescue agency, told Reuters.
The BNPB said damage was reported to houses, warehouses and government facilities. Traffic congestion and power outages also affected parts of the region.
Earlier, rescuers in Maumere found 20 bodies and six injured people, while two others were reported trapped under rubble, Fathur said.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said at least five people were killed after rubble from collapsed buildings fell on them while they were sleeping.
The head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Agency said rescuers were also searching for two villagers believed to be trapped under mud following a landslide.