Strong Quake in East Nusa Tenggara Triggers Tsunami Alerts Across Region
- 15 Agt 2026 07:32 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) at dawn on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
- BMKG issued a Tsunami Early Warning Level 2 across four Indonesian provinces.
- Residents in East Nusa Tenggara and neighboring islands experienced prolonged tremors and ongoing aftershocks.
RRI.CO.ID, Mataram – A powerful magnitude 7.0 tectonic earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) at dawn on Saturday, August 15, 2026, shaking communities as far as Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and prompting tsunami warnings in several provinces.
Residents in Mataram described the shock as sudden and unsettling. “The quake was shocking because it happened during the busy hour of preparing children for school,” said Veronika, a local resident, as quoted by Antara, on Saturday.
She added that the tremor felt like a swinging motion that lasted long enough to cause dizziness. Another Lombok resident, Adam, recalled. “While I was sleeping, suddenly everything in the room shook. Hopefully nothing bad happens in the epicenter area," he shared.
According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the quake struck at 05:58 a.m. local time, with its epicenter north of Mbay, Nagekeo Subdistrict, East Nusa Tenggara, at a depth of 10–15 kilometers. BMKG later updated the strength to 7.7 and issued a Tsunami Early Warning Level 2 for coastal areas in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi.
Small tsunami waves were detected: 0.36 meters in Labuan Bajo, 0.19 meters in Sikka, and 0.17 meters in Dompu, NTB. BMKG urged residents to remain calm and follow official updates, noting that aftershocks continued across Flores, Sumba, Adonara, and Solor until 07:02 a.m. local time.
“The location is about 30 kilometers offshore from Mbay-Nagekeo, with a depth of 15 kilometers," explained, Head of BMKG’s Geophysics Station in Kupang, Arief Tyastama.
In East Nusa Tenggara, northern parts of Manggarai, Ngada, Manggarai Barat, Ende, and Sikka were placed under Siaga (Alert) status. In South Sulawesi, Selayar, Jeneponto, and Bantaeng were also listed as areas at risk. ***
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