A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Flores region early Saturday morning. The quake hit at 5:58 a.m. Indonesia time with a depth of 10 kilometers. The epicenter was located 68 kilometers north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.
The shallow undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami warning, prompting hundreds of residents to evacuate. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency urged people to stay away from beaches and riverbanks and move to higher ground. Officials monitored coastal tide gauges as several aftershocks followed the main event.
Authorities have received no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Indonesia is highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because of its location on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.