Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has assured the public that emergency response measures and aid distribution will continue for earthquake-affected communities in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), as the death toll reached 71 on Wednesday.
“Fatalities have risen by one in Nagekeo District, bringing the total to 71. On behalf of the government, we would like to express our condolences for the lives lost,” Acting Head of BNPB’s Center for Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Berton Panjaitan said.
At an online press conference monitored from Jakarta on Wednesday, he emphasized that relief operations were still underway in areas affected by Saturday’s magnitude 7.7 earthquake, which struck Flores and surrounding islands in NTT.
He said that as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, air shipments had reached 165 tons, while the total volume of relief supplies dispatched since Aug. 15 had reached 398 tons. He noted that land transportation remained the primary mode of aid delivery.
Citing Flores’ challenging geography, Panjaitan explained that authorities were transporting aid to evacuation centers in stages, taking accessibility into account.
“We are also mobilizing sea transportation to reach regions requiring extensive logistical support,” he added.
The official further reported that the disaster had displaced 59,647 people, with Manggarai District accommodating the largest number of evacuees.
“Our top priority now is to take care of evacuees because many residents have opted not to return to their damaged homes for fear of aftershocks,” he added.
He appealed to survivors to remain calm, assuring them that adequate relief supplies would continue to be provided.
“We are working to ensure that basic needs such as food, safe water, tents, mattresses, blankets, and sanitation equipment are met,” he said.
Panjaitan stressed that aid distribution was also complicated by the wide geographic spread of evacuation sites.
“The handling of evacuees is not confined to a single, centralized point because the disaster victims are scattered across several locations,” he said.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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