Indonesia Reports 75 Dead After NTT Magnitude-7.7 Earthquake
Indonesian officials are prioritizing basic needs and mobilizing aid for victims of the magnitude-7.7 earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), where the death toll has risen to 75 and injuries to 907.
Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll and Injuries
The death toll from the major earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has risen to 75 as of Thursday afternoon, the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) reported. [4] In addition to the fatalities, the number of injured victims increased to 907, up by nine from the previous count of 898. [4] All nine newly recorded injuries were reported in Ngada District. [4]
Vice President Gibran Prioritizes Urgent Aid in NTT
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has called for basic needs for earthquake-affected residents in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province to be prioritized, emphasizing the necessity of a rapid, integrated, and comprehensive post-disaster response. [4] "In emergency management, the safety of our citizens and the fulfillment of urgent needs must be the top priorities. No resident should be left without assistance, including those residing in hard-to-reach areas, such as mountainous settlements," Gibran said on Thursday. [4] While inspecting damaged infrastructure in the province's Sikka district, he urged all relevant officials to visit the disaster zones to ensure that relief efforts are executed effectively and any obstacles are swiftly addressed. [4] "I urge all regional heads and local leadership forum (Forkopimda) members to go directly to the field, ensuring every instruction is fully implemented without bureaucratic barriers," Gibran said, adding that every obstacle must be identified and resolved immediately, with clear accountability and specific deadlines. [4] Gibran said he will report all the findings and challenges directly to the President. [4] Amid the ongoing recovery and response operations, Gibran also expressed his appreciation to all personnel and volunteers who have been assisting local communities since the disaster first struck. [4] He noted that a unified response and collaborative work among all agencies on the ground are vital to ensuring that affected communities receive the necessary aid and continuous support. [4] "I extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude to all personnel who have been on the ground helping the community since day one of the disaster," he said. [4]
Residents in East Nusa Tenggara survey damage after magnitude-7.7 earthquake. — Source: nrk
Transmigration Ministry Mobilizes Donations and Programs
Transmigration Minister Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara said the government is preparing several programs to support communities affected by the magnitude-7.7 earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). [1] Suryanagara said the ministry had also collected around Rp100 million in donations as an initial contribution to help communities affected by the disaster. [1] "Employees contributed around Rp100 million as an initial initiative. After that, we are also designing programs that can be redirected. We will give priority to several matters to help our brothers and sisters in NTT," he said in an official statement received on Thursday. [1] According to Suryanagara, the concern for communities affected by the earthquake reflects collaboration between the Ministry of Transmigration and the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions. [1] Beyond disaster response, he said stronger coordination between the two ministries was needed to ensure the sustainability of development in villages and transmigration areas. [1] The transmigration program has established 1,567 new villages through the development of transmigration areas, he said. [1] Once established, these villages require continued support from local governments and the ministry responsible for village development. [1] Suryanagara explained that cross-ministerial collaboration is necessary to ensure that development is not disrupted by administrative boundaries once a program or area has grown. [1] Programs that have already been established, he added, must continue to deliver benefits and develop into sources of economic and social strength for local communities. [1] Furthermore, he said the momentum of Independence Day commemorations should be filled with concrete action rather than ceremonies alone, including efforts to strengthen public services. [1] "The most important thing in the end is the benefit for the community," the minister said. [1]
Colombia Quake Damages Cemeteries Linked to Conflict Evidence
In the town of Roldanillo, the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10 opened an unexpected fissure. [5] The shifting of a structure in the local cemetery exposed skeletal remains, boots and camouflage clothing. [5] Images circulated on social media, quickly fueling speculation that the remains might belong to victims of killings in which civilians were murdered by soldiers and falsely presented as guerrillas killed in combat. [5] Although there is currently no evidence that the bodies belong to victims of those crimes, the agency responsible for searching for missing persons intervened at the cemetery and recovered “two skeletonized bodies” and nine bags containing camouflage-related items and boots. [5] The discovery also raised concerns that the earthquake may have damaged sites that could hold crucial evidence about Colombia’s disappeared. [5] Colombia’s efforts to account for nearly 132,000 people who disappeared during the armed conflict could be set back by the earthquake. [5] Alongside the 312 deaths, 4,548 injuries and 822 homes destroyed, there is now the risk that evidence crucial to locating missing persons could be lost. [5] According to the Working Group on Enforced Disappearance, which includes the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (Movice), the cemeteries of Roldanillo and Siloé in Valle del Cauca; San Camilo in Pereira, Risaralda, the two departments hardest hit by the quake; and those of Caramanta, Sonsón and Granada in Antioquia are considered at risk. [5]
Response Efforts in Colombia
The Unit for the Search for Persons Deemed Missing (UBPD), a state agency created under the 2016 Peace Agreement, is already responding to the situation. [5] It said that on the day of the earthquake, it launched a preliminary assessment of the damage to cemeteries in order to determine which sites require priority attention. [5] Three of the six cemeteries under alert are subject to precautionary measures ordered by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the transitional justice tribunal also created under the 2016 peace agreement, because they are believed to contain the remains of missing persons. [5] They are the cemeteries of Sonsón, Caramanta and Granada, all in the department of Antioquia, one of the regions hardest hit by the conflict and the Colombian department with the highest number of recorded victims of enforced disappearance. [5] In Roldanillo, the only site where remains have so far been uncovered, the presence of military clothing has opened a new line of inquiry. [5] “A humanitarian investigation to determine the identity, origin and possible link to the armed conflict of the remains will be assessed,” says the UBPD. [5] The agency said it carried out five humanitarian operations at the cemetery, including an assessment of the structure where the skeletal remains and associated items were located, as well as the recovery and packaging of the exposed remains, boots and camouflage clothing. [5] “In light of the discovery in Roldanillo and the damage reported in other cemeteries, the UBPD has been implementing humanitarian measures for the handling of human remains under its accidental discovery protocol, while also undertaking any transfers, custody arrangements and coordination required with the relevant authorities,” says Julián David Arias Quintero, the agency’s deputy forensic director, in a statement. [5] “We are very concerned about the implications this could have for the long process of addressing enforced disappearances,” says Adriana Arboleda, a representative of Movice. [5] “We are calling on the authorities to verify the condition of other sites in areas most heavily affected by the earthquake. For example, we currently do not know the condition of cemeteries in Chocó.” [5] Arboleda stressed that she understands that the immediate priority is rescuing those still trapped beneath the rubble, but she insists on the importance of inspecting cemeteries as well. [5]
Minor Earthquakes Recorded in Mexico and Alaska
A magnitude 2.7 earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.5km, 9 km WSW of Alberto Oviedo Mota, B.C., MX. [2] A magnitude 2.6 earthquake occurred at a depth of 145.1km, 47 km ENE of Pedro Bay, Alaska. [3]
What to watch next: The UBPD will continue assessments of cemeteries in affected regions to determine priority sites, while the Transmigration Ministry designs additional programs in coordination with the Ministry of Villages for long-term support in NTT.
