August 16, 2026 | 02:29 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province on Saturday, August 15, 2026, has killed 47 people, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
As of midnight on Sunday, August 16, the fatalities were reported across six regencies, BNPB Head of Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Berton SP Panjaitan said.
Manggarai recorded the highest number of deaths at 23, followed by East Manggarai with 17. Four people were killed in Sikka, while West Manggarai, Ende, and Nagekeo each reported one death.
The earthquake was followed by 341 aftershocks and forced more than 5,000 people to evacuate.
Some 1,356 people sought shelter at Samador Sports Hall, while about 2,000 others evacuated independently across 10 locations. Manggarai recorded another 2,078 evacuees, while Nagekeo reported 500.
Evacuees were also reported in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, and Selayar Islands, South Sulawesi.
Evacuees Need Emergency Supplies
Berton said survivors, particularly those in Manggarai, urgently need dozens of emergency tents, 30 tons of rice, medicines, 1,000 blankets, 1,000 folding beds, 1,000 mats, water tanks, and generators.
“Meeting basic needs and providing logistics at evacuation centers is now one of the priorities in the emergency response,” Berton said.
The earthquake also damaged hundreds of homes. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, BNPB had recorded 157 houses that were heavily damaged, 41 moderately damaged, and 148 lightly damaged.
NTT Prepares Emergency Response Status
In response to the disaster, the NTT provincial government is preparing a decree to declare a 14-day emergency response period. Several affected regencies and municipalities have also formally declared emergency response statuses.
Manggarai, for example, declared a 90-day disaster emergency response period from August 15 to November 13, 2026, and established a command post. Similar measures have been taken by Ngada and East Manggarai regencies.
Joint response teams and regional disaster mitigation agencies (BPBD) remain on the ground to assess damage and verify the latest conditions.
A field hospital has also been established in Reok District, Manggarai, to provide emergency medical services.
BNPB said the Larantuka-Maumere road is now accessible for logistics and evacuation operations. However, authorities are seeking alternative routes because the main road connecting Ende and Nagekeo remains cut off by earthquake damage, Berton said.
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