TOKYO, August 15. /TASS/. At least 38 people have been killed in a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Indonesia, Reuters reported, citing Suharyanto, head of Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Earlier reports put the death toll at 20.

The initial tremor was followed by strong aftershocks, prompting authorities to advise residents along the coast of Flores Island to evacuate their homes and stay at least 2 kilometers away from the shoreline due to a tsunami warning. According to the Jakarta Globe newspaper, the earthquake damaged government buildings, homes, schools, as well as medical and religious institutions on the island.