Earthquake kills at least 20 in Indonesia

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia early Saturday, collapsing buildings and homes, killing at least 20 people and causing panic in a region prone to deadly quakes.

A tsunami warning was issued but later lifted when Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would pose a threat to coastal communities.

East Nusa Tenggara authorities said preliminary reports indicate two fatalities in Sikka Regency and three in Manggarai Regency.

Power outages in cities and villages have hampered the flow of information and complicated search and rescue efforts.

The quake was felt across much of Flores island and also reportedly caused panic in Bima, a city in neighbouring West Nusa Tenggara province. There were also damages reported in some part of southern Sulawesi island.