7.7 Quake Strikes Indonesia

A powerful earthquake just struck Indonesia.

A preliminary magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit near Flores, Indonesia, at a shallow depth of roughly 6 miles beneath the surface.

That is a major earthquake.

Shallow earthquakes this powerful can produce intense shaking near the epicenter, and because this one occurred near the ocean, authorities are now assessing whether there is any tsunami threat.

The magnitude is preliminary and may be adjusted as additional data comes in.

This is developing right now.