Jakarta, August 16 (QNA) - Indonesian authorities announced on Sunday that at least 51 people were killed and about 5,000 were evacuated after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Flores Island in eastern Indonesia.

Indonesian Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus reported that 36 people were seriously injured in the earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara province, while 77 others sustained minor injuries.

Deputy chief of Sikka Simon Subandi said, "Almost all of ​Sikka's residents didn't dare stay indoors, so they slept on a porch or a tent outside."

For his part, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said that more than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed to the region to assist with relief efforts and disaster response.

The disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) reported that most of the missing were trapped under rubble, more than 1,300 homes were damaged, and 20 gas stations had stopped operating due to power outages.

Indonesia and its neighboring countries lie within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active region that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and the Pacific basin, making the archipelago frequently vulnerable to earthquakes and tremors.

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia in early July, without causing casualties or major damage. (QNA)