Maumere – This morning, August 15, 2026, the island of Flores was struck by a violent magnitude 7.7 earthquake shortly before 6 a.m. The tremor, whose epicenter was located in the Nagekeo area, was felt strongly across numerous parts of the island, including Maumere, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Just hours after the tragic event that struck the Indonesian island, Father Luigi Galvani, a Camillian missionary and pioneer of the local mission, shared the first reports with Fides.
“In Maumere, one of the areas hardest hit was Lorens Say port, where the collapse of the waiting room caused deaths and injuries,” the missionary said. He had returned to the island a week ago after his usual annual stay in Italy and is due to leave soon for nearby Kupang. “The first information released by the authorities spoke of two deaths and several people injured, while the overall earthquake toll continued to evolve in the following hours.”
“Immediately after the earthquake, reports began circulating of a possible tsunami. The authorities did issue a warning, and many families living along the coast quickly left their homes, heading for higher and hilly areas.
“It was a time of great fear,” Father Luigi stressed. “Many people spent hours away from their homes, fearing that the waves would arrive. Fortunately, the warning was later lifted, and the catastrophe many had feared did not occur in Maumere.”
The scenes inside our churches were particularly striking. At the time of the earthquake, some of the priests were celebrating Mass. When the ground began to shake violently, priests and faithful instinctively ran out of the churches to seek safety.
“One of our Fathers was distributing Holy Communion when the tremor reached its maximum intensity. Shortly afterward, pieces of the roof fell precisely in the area of the altar. He was truly fortunate and, above all, we can say: thanks be to God, he was spared. Inside the church, the earthquake left clear signs of the damage. The crucifix and several statues fell to the ground. Among them was a statue of St. Joseph, whose head broke off in the fall. It is a deeply moving image.
“Another of our Fathers told us that, seeing all the faithful running out of the church, he also went outside. Once there, almost instinctively, he tried to conclude the celebration with an early final blessing, entrusting everyone to the protection of the Lord.
“Certainly, this day will remain etched in the memory of the island’s inhabitants. The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was marked by fear and uncertainty, but the people’s faith and hope remain alive.”
Father Galvani concluded his testimony by thanking the Lord that so many people were saved and that the consequences in Maumere were not even more severe.
“Our prayer are for the victims, the injured, all the families who have suffered damage, and those who are working in rescue efforts at this very moment.”
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