THE second earthquake to hit Indonesia yesterday (Aug. 15), with western Sumatra island rocked by 6.9 magnitude temblor in the evening after a powerful 7.7 magnitude quake struck eastern Flores island before dawn, was felt in southern Thailand and the Interior Minister has instructed the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) to closely monitor it, Naewna newspaper said.
Deputy Interior Minister Jeseth Thaiseth said the Sumatra quake was at a depth of 158km with the epicentre being to the north of the island, approximately 1,208km from Thailand.
While Thailand was not affected by the Sumatra quake, tremors were felt in some southern provinces including Songkhla, Trang, Krabi, Phuket, and Satun.
However, while the quake’s intensity and distance did not affect structural integrity in Thailand, Jeseth ordered both DDPM and the National Disaster Warning Centre to closely monitor the situation 24 hours a day.
Officials of the two agencies are coordinating with provincial authorities and relevant agencies to inspect areas and high-rise buildings where tremors were felt, to ensure safety and reassure the public.
Indonesian rescuers combed through debris for survivors on Flores island after the powerful quake killed at least 47 people, according to disaster officials, France 24 and AFP said.
The national disaster management agency (BNPB) raised the death toll from 40 late Saturday, and rescue official Fathur Rahman said 50 people were injured in the 7.7-magnitude quake.
Suharyanto, who leads the BNPB, said earlier that people were trapped in several buildings.
“These will be the initial targets of the disaster response teams,” said Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians uses one name.
Nearly 160 houses, dozens of educational and health facilities and other public buildings were damaged when the earthquake struck the popular tourist island in Indonesia’s east, the BNPB reported.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said preparations were under way to bring aid to some 2,000 people in temporary shelters.
The government sent 50,000 aid packages weighing a total of 275 tonnes to the area, and European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen offered help from the bloc’s Copernicus Earth observation satellites.
“Europe stands ready to deploy Copernicus, our eyes in the sky, to support search and rescue efforts. Indonesia, we stand with you,” she wrote on X.
‘Like we were on a trampoline’
“I have never felt an earthquake this big,” Yulian Juita Ekalia, who lives in Ruteng city more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the epicentre, told AFP by telephone hours after the tremor.
“It felt like we were on a trampoline; it was really scary,” said the 37-year-old university lecturer, who was jolted awake at around 5.30 a.m.
“As I rushed to get outside, everything in the house fell down: the television, my son’s trophies, the dish racks, suitcases on top of the wardrobes. When I got outside, my son and neighbours were already there, screaming in fear.”
CAPTIONS:
Top: A rescue team searches for victims in the ruins of the Laurensius Say Port in Maumere, Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara on Aug. 15, 2026, after an earthquake struck Flores island. Photo: AFP/Arnold Welianto and published by CNA
Front Page: Rescuers inspect a heavily damaged building at L. Say port following an earthquake in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, on Aug. 15, 2026. Photo: Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas)/Handout via Reuters and published by CNA
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