7.7-magnitude earthquake jolts eastern Indonesia

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake kills at least 38 people and six injured off eastern Indonesia, with rescue efforts continuing as authorities scramble to free two individuals still trapped under rubble.

Numerous aftershocks have been recorded while authorities lifted a tsunami warning after the initial tremors.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast Indonesia early Saturday. Witnesses report collapsed buildings, including structures at a port terminal in Maumere.

The partial collapse of the structures was caught on camera, with the footage also showing locals running away in fear.

Rescuers search through buildings, and residents sort through rubble of damaged homes.

Authorities issued a tsunami warning but later lifted it when monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would pose a threat to coastal communities.

Tsunami waves of less than 1 metre were recorded in several areas.

The US Geological Survey said the quake hit Indonesia's Flores region with a depth of 10 kilometres. Its epicentre was 68 kilometres north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. The initial quake was followed by several aftershocks.

The national disaster mitigation agency BNPB said it was still gathering data.