Jakarta (ANTARA) – The death toll from a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province on Aug. 15 has risen to 100, official agencies confirmed Monday.
“Fatalities stood at 48 during the first two days, and the updated figure as of today has reached 100,” Suhartoyo, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), told an online news conference in Jakarta.
Suhartoyo explained that the sharp increase in casualties was largely driven by survivors who succumbed to severe injuries days after the initial quake.
As of Monday, the agency reported 1,603 people injured and 180,327 residents displaced across emergency shelters.
The BNPB chief expressed concern over false tsunami warnings circulating among local communities, which sparked widespread panic and led some survivors to set up makeshift camps in remote areas beyond the immediate reach of relief teams.
He dismissed the rumors and urged the public to rely exclusively on official reporting.
“The information is false. Authorities, particularly the BMKG, issue daily updates and have not detected any aftershocks stronger than the initial tremor over the past eight days,” Suhartoyo said, referring to the country’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency.
The BMKG recorded 6,409 aftershocks in the eight days following the main quake, ranging from magnitude 1.1 to 6.2.
Only 33 of the 139 aftershocks felt by NTT residents exceeded magnitude 5.0.
Seismic activity could persist for up to four weeks as tectonic plates stabilize, the agency projected.
Suhartoyo assured that relief operations are actively extending aid to all displaced residents, including those in isolated or self-established camps.
“We are making every effort to ensure that survivors staying in remote shelters or outside centralized facilities receive food, supplies, and essential aid,” he said.
Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2026