Nusa Tenggara Declares Emergency After 7.7 Quake Leaves 51 Dead

The eastern Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara announced a 14‑day emergency response following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Flores Island on August 16. The emergency window, spanning August 15‑28, seeks to streamline rescue, evacuation and aid delivery.

The quake’s epicentre was identified about 30 kilometres north‑east of the town of Mbay in Nagekeo Regency, at a depth of 15 kilometres. National disaster authorities have logged 341 aftershocks, confirming 51 deaths and 113 injuries to date.

Relocation efforts have placed 3,356 people in temporary camps at Sikka, 2,078 at Manggarai and 500 at Nagekeo, with additional displacement noted in Bima and Selayar districts. Structural damage is extensive: 914 houses are either fully destroyed or heavily damaged, 126 buildings show moderate damage and 317 suffer light damage. The quake also harmed 93 schools, 36 health facilities and 38 government offices.

Governor Melki Laka Lena reported that landslides have blocked numerous routes, hindering rescue teams’ movement. The disaster agency has begun supplying food and essential relief items from a warehouse in East Flores Regency, while Jakarta has dispatched additional aid via Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base. Several provincial flights were cancelled, and a tsunami warning issued after the main shock was later rescinded by the meteorological agency.

Officials emphasize that the emergency declaration will accelerate humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and long‑term recovery for the affected communities.