Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 54 as Relief Efforts Accelerate in NTT
An Indonesia earthquake of magnitude 7.7 struck Nagekeo District in East Nusa Tenggara Province on August 15, killing at least 54 people, injuring 199, displacing nearly 10,000 and damaging thousands of homes and public buildings, with the government rushing relief supplies and maintaining Rp5 trillion in disaster funds. The Indonesia earthquake struck at 5:58 a.m. WITA on August 15 at a shallow depth, triggering a brief tsunami warning that was later lifted. [4]
Magnitude 7.7 Quake Strikes East Nusa Tenggara
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Nagekeo District in East Nusa Tenggara Province on Saturday at 5:58 a.m. WITA. [4] The event occurred on the northern side of Flores Island and prompted an immediate tsunami warning from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency that was subsequently lifted. [3] The quake registered at a shallow depth of just 15 km and struck shortly before 06:00 local time. [5] Officials described the shaking as severe enough to damage structures across multiple regencies on Flores. [4] The timing on a Saturday morning caught many residents at home, contributing to the rapid onset of emergency conditions reported by local authorities. [5]
Rising Death Toll and Widespread Damage
As of Sunday evening, BNPB reported 54 deaths, 199 injuries, 9,963 displaced people, 1,528 affected households and 2,403 damaged homes on northern Flores Island. [4] Of the damaged homes, 1,543 sustained severe damage, 328 sustained moderate damage and 532 sustained minor damage. [4] Twenty-two educational buildings were damaged while 88 others were affected. [4] Two hundred eleven health facilities were impacted, including 21 hospitals and 190 community health centers. [4] Additional structures hit included one Perum Bulog warehouse, 42 public facilities, 65 places of worship, 105 office buildings, 18 irrigation facilities and 34 road sections. [4] Early data also indicated more than 1,000 houses damaged along with dozens of health facilities, schools and government offices, though the full scale continued to emerge. [5]
Rescue workers search rubble in Nagekeo District after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara. — Source: antaranews
Government Accelerates Relief Operations
The Ministry of Social Affairs is expediting relief with logistical supplies, tents, emergency kitchens, compensation for victims' families and coordination with BNPB, TNI, Polri and local governments. [3] Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf stated that the ministry is part of a team directly instructed by President Prabowo to provide assistance for affected families in East Nusa Tenggara. [3] Ministry personnel have been working in the affected areas for the past two days alongside a team coordinated by the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs. [3] The Ministry of Social Affairs deployed its Disaster Preparedness Volunteers to assist with ground operations. [3] Relief efforts continue in coordination with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, local governments and other stakeholders. [3] Measures focus on evacuation, providing logistical support and ready-to-eat meals, disbursing compensation to the next of kin of deceased victims and preparing post-disaster community empowerment programmes. [3] Government officials remain in affected areas to ensure the disaster response meets local residents' needs. [3]
Rp5 Trillion Disaster Fund Kept on Standby
The Finance Ministry is keeping Rp5 trillion ready for disaster response and will add more funds as requested by BNPB, which also holds Rp500 billion in ready reserves. [4] Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the disaster relief fund is always maintained at Rp5 trillion. [4] He added that if it is not enough, more will be allocated depending on the needs submitted by BNPB. [4] Every funding request for disaster management is processed promptly through established mechanisms and standard operating procedures. [4] BNPB maintains a ready-to-use reserve fund of approximately Rp500 billion to support emergency response efforts on the ground. [4] If that amount proves insufficient, additional resources will be topped up. [4] The preparedness reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that funding does not become an obstacle to disaster response efforts. [4] Budgetary support continues to be adjusted in line with actual needs on the ground and official requests from BNPB. [4]
Survivors Endure Aid Shortages and Aftershocks
Survivors face aid shortages, aftershocks, landslides, damaged hospitals and cut-off villages, forcing many to sleep outdoors and raising fears of starvation in isolated areas. [5] Refugees are sleeping outdoors through sweltering days and frigid nights for fear that more buildings may collapse. [5] Tents set up amid the rubble of collapsed hospitals are serving as makeshift emergency rooms for injured patients. [5] Landslides sever access roads and supplies dwindle in several parts of the island, fuelling concerns about how much longer survivors can hold out. [5] At the Ruteng Regional General Hospital in Manggarai Regency, a public relations officer reported that medical assistance had been promised but nothing had arrived yet. [5] In Labuan Bajo, many survivors have been sleeping outdoors, fearful that aftershocks might collapse damaged homes while they rest. [5] One farmer stated that the shaking was very scary and that residents worried the aftershocks would collapse houses during sleep. [5] In Ngada Regency, a local resident noted that health facilities and equipment had been severely damaged and that, as of Sunday night, no medical assistance had arrived. [5] Villages have been cut off from aid, and displaced people have been forced to seek higher ground as hundreds of aftershocks continue. [5]
Ongoing Response in Hardest-Hit Areas
On Sunday night, rescuers successfully reached a village on Palue Island, just north of Flores’s mainland, that had been cut off for nearly two full days after the initial quake. [5] Rescuers reached Nitung Village after a two-hour overland journey from the coast. [5] The challenge was the road, which remained prone to landslides and constituted a life-threatening route. [5] Hundreds of homes in Nitung Village were severely damaged, and residents had been sheltering in makeshift shelters. [5] Electricity and communication lines were completely cut off following the earthquake. [5] The village had not received aid because it was isolated for nearly two days, and efforts were underway to rush supplies to the survivors. [5] This location is likely the village in Sikka Regency that suffered the worst damage from the Indonesia earthquake. [5]
What to watch next: Rescue teams continue working to reach additional cut-off villages while authorities monitor aftershocks and coordinate further aid deliveries to isolated areas on Flores and nearby islands.
