Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Shakes East Nusa Tenggara

A tectonic earthquake measuring magnitude 7.7 shook the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) region on Saturday (15/8) morning. The tremors were also felt by residents as far as Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

Several residents of the Puri Anggrek housing complex in Mataram City immediately rushed out onto the streets after feeling the earthquake. Some residents were preparing for their daily activities after performing morning prayers and cleaning their homes.

“The earthquake was startling because it occurred during the busy hour of getting children ready for school,” said a resident, Veronika, when met in Mataram, NTB, on Saturday.

Veronika said the shaking felt like a swaying motion and lasted quite a long time. The sensation left her feeling dizzy, similar to the feeling after a flight.

According to information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the earthquake occurred at 05:58 Central Indonesia Time (WITA). The epicentre was located north of Mbay, Nagekeo Regency, NTT.

The earthquake was located at coordinates 8.33 degrees south latitude and 121.32 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometres.

The BMKG had issued a tsunami early warning following the earthquake. Tsunami waves were observed in several areas, measuring 0.19 metres in Sikka, 0.36 metres in Labuan Bajo, NTT, and 0.17 metres in Dompu.

The BMKG urged the public to remain calm and follow official information regarding developments and the potential for aftershocks.

“I was sleeping when suddenly everything in the room started shaking, and it turned out to be an earthquake. I hope nothing bad has happened in the epicentre area,” said another Lombok resident, Adam.