A rescue team searches for victims in the ruins of the Laurensius Say Port in Maumere, Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara on August 15, 2026, after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island. [AFP]
Rescuers combed through debris for survivors after a powerful earthquake struck off Indonesia's Flores Island on Saturday, killing at least 38 people, according to a disaster official.
Suharyanto, head of Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency, said 13 people were injured, two of them seriously.
"Victims are trapped in several buildings," said Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses one name.
"These will be the initial targets of the disaster response teams," he told a news conference, adding that two helicopters and a plane were being readied to assist in rescue operations.
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.
Dozens of houses and other buildings were damaged when the 7.7-magnitude quake hit the popular tourist island in Indonesia's east.