Jakarta, Aug. 16 -- At least 47 people have been confirmed dead following a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia on Saturday morning, according to preliminary data released by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

According to official figures released by the BNPB as of Saturday, the highest casualties were recorded in Manggarai Regency, where 24 people lost their lives, followed by East Manggarai with 17 fatalities. Deaths were also reported in Sikka (3), West Manggarai (1), Ngada (1), and Ende (1) regencies.

The quake left a trail of severe structural destruction across Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province. Preliminary BNPB data indicated that 157 homes were severely damaged, 41 suffered moderate ...