Magnitude-7.7 quake hits off coast of Indonesia, killing at least 2

Nbcwashington · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 14, 2026 · 472 words · By Babak Dehghanpisheh; NBC News

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What to know about Magnitude-7.7 quake hits off coast of Indonesia, killing at least 2

A magnitude-7.7 earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia in the eastern Flores region, the United States Geological Survey reported on Friday.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

A magnitude-7.7 earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia in the eastern Flores region, the United States Geological Survey reported on Friday.

Why it matters

The epicenter was 68 kms (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.

Common ground

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Perspective signals

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Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Magnitude-7.7 quake hits off coast of Indonesia, killing at least 2?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The initial quake was followed by two aftershocks?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/quake-off-coast-indone…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

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Claim 1: “The initial quake was followed by two aftershocks.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources confirm the initial quake was followed by two aftershocks, with some specifying magnitudes (e.g., 6.1).

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web search NEUTRAL — The shallow quake hit Indonesia’s Flores region with a depth of 10km at 5.58am local time, according to the US Geological Survey, followed by two aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.1.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/15/indonesia-eart…

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web search NEUTRAL — The earthquake struck the Flores region at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) at 5.58 am local time on Saturday (2158GMT Friday), according to the US Geological Survey. It was followed by two afters…
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/indonesias-77-magnitud…

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web search NEUTRAL — The initial quake was followed by two strong aftershocks in the same area, of magnitude 5.6 and 5.9.Flores was struck by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1992, which triggered a tsunami and resulted in a…
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/7-7-magnitude-earthquake-hit…

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Claim 2: “In June, deadly back-to-back earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, killed more than 6,000 people in Venezuela, according to government figures.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny deadly earthquakes in Venezuela in June with the specified magnitudes and death toll.

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Claim 3: “Indonesian authorities initially issued a tsunami warning for parts of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi provinces”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm tsunami warnings were issued for East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 15 August 2026, at 05:58 WITA (UTC+8), a Mw 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The earthquake was caused by movement on the Flores back-ar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Flores_earthquake

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Flores ( FLOR-ess) is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Administratively, it forms the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara Province. The area i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flores

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Labuan Bajo (Indonesian pronunciation: [laˌbuan ˈbad͡ʒo]) is a fishing town located at the western end of the large island of Flores in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. It is in Komodo Di…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labuan_Bajo

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 4: “In December of 1992, a magnitude 7 earthquake caused a tsunami that killed about 2,500 people on the southeastern island of Flores, part of a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple news sources confirm a magnitude 7.7 earthquake and tsunami in December 1992 killed approximately 2,500 people on Flores.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Raymond Flores (born March 21, 1937) is an American former professional football player in the American Football League (AFL) and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a qua…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Flores

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami occurred on 12 December on the island of Flores in Indonesia. With a magnitude of 7.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), it was the largest and th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Flores_earthquake_and_tsu…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Australia’s tsunami warning center said the undersea earthquake will have “no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.””

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that Australia's tsunami warning center stated there was no threat to the Australian mainland, islands, or territories.

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web search NEUTRAL — The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) issued a statement at around 4.30pm AEST today following the quake which hit around 10 minutes earlier.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/2140537/no-tsunami-th…

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web search NEUTRAL — “The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre have assessed the event in the Pacific and there is no threat current to the Australian mainland and islands,” they told NewsWire. “The JATWC will continue…
https://au.news.yahoo.com/warning-aussies-amid-tsunami-threa…

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web search NEUTRAL — Australia’s tsunami warning centre said the undersea earthquake will have “no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories”.
https://ddindia.co.in/2026/08/magnitude-7-7-earthquake-strik…

verified

Claim 6: “Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is 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.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms Indonesia is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands and is located on the 'Ring of Fire'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a tectonic belt of earthquakes and volcanoes. It is about 40,000 km (25,000…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey is a series of five documentary films following the decade-long Wanderjahr of the filmmaker/sibling partnership Lorne and Lawrence Blair.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire:_An_Indonesian_Od…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ring of Fire is a series of oceanic trenches and volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean. Ring of Fire may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire_(disambiguation)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “The epicenter was 68 kms (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources explicitly state the epicenter was 68 km north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ende is the seat capital of the Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Ende is located on the southern coast of Flores Island. The town had a population of 87,269 residents at the 202…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ende_(town)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Persatuan Sepakbola Ende, commonly known as Perse Ende, is an Indonesian football club based in Ende, East Nusa Tenggara. They currently compete in the Liga 4 and their homeground is Marilonga Stadium…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perse_Ende

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “Preliminary reports from the Maumere Search and Rescue Agency said that at least two residents were killed and two others injured as the earthquake caused severe damage and collapsed buildings, according to Indonesia’s disaster management agency.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including reports citing the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the Maumere Search and Rescue Agency, confirm the preliminary report of two deaths and two injuries.

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web search NEUTRAL — Indonesia’s disaster management agency confirmed at least two people died and two others were injured, based on preliminary reports from the Maumere Search and Rescue Agency. Here’s what happened on t…
https://trenbuzz.com/indonesia-earthquake-kills/

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web search NEUTRAL — The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated that two people died and one was injured in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), due to the M 7.7 earthquake that shook Flores. Data collectio…
https://www.kompas.id/artikel/77-magnitude-earthquake-in-flo…

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web search NEUTRAL — Two people have died, one other injured.At least 38 people have now been confirmed dead following the earthquake in Indonesia. The nation's disaster mitigation agency says the death toll has risen as …
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/indonesia-earthquak…

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Claim 9: “The latest quake comes after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread damage.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia on the preceding Monday.

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Claim 10: “A magnitude-7.7 earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia in the eastern Flores region, the United States Geological Survey reported on Friday.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm a magnitude-7.7 earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia's Flores region as reported by the USGS.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An earthquake occurred 112 km, offshore, north of Maumere in the Flores Sea on 14 December. The quake had a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). One pe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Flores_earthquake

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.