East Nusa Tenggara declares 14-day quake emergency
East Nusa Tenggara has declared a 14-day emergency after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake killed at least 51 people and displaced nearly 6,000.
Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province has declared a 14-day emergency from August 15 to 28 after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Flores on Saturday (August 15), killing at least 51 people and causing widespread damage.
The emergency status is intended to accelerate disaster-response operations, evacuations, aid distribution, relief assistance and the recovery of affected communities.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that 113 people had been injured and 341 aftershocks recorded following the main earthquake.
The quake struck at a depth of 15 kilometres, with its epicentre about 30km north-east of Mbay in Nagekeo Regency.
Nearly 6,000 people moved to temporary shelters
At least 5,934 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters in Sikka, Manggarai and Nagekeo.
Sikka recorded the largest number of evacuees at 3,356, followed by 2,078 in Manggarai and 500 in Nagekeo.
An unspecified number of residents in Bima and Selayar have also been left homeless by the disaster.
Authorities are continuing to provide emergency assistance while monitoring risks from further aftershocks.
More than 1,350 homes damaged
Initial assessments found that 1,357 homes had sustained damage of varying severity.
Of those, 914 were severely damaged, 126 suffered moderate damage and 317 sustained minor damage.
The earthquake also damaged 93 educational institutions, 36 health facilities and 38 government office buildings.
The provincial authorities will use the emergency period to speed up evacuations and relief distribution while coordinating the recovery of homes, public facilities and other infrastructure in the affected areas.
