The Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Melki Laka Lena, has said\nthat the northern part of Flores island has been most affected by the\n7.7 magnitude earthquake centred in Mbay, Nagekeo Regency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe greatest impact of the Mbay earthquake is in the northern region\nof Flores, from Maumere, Ngada, Manggarai, and its epicentre in\nNagekeo,\u201d he said during a press conference with relevant agencies and\nregional leadership coordination forum members, including the TNI and\nPolri, at the NTT Regional Police Headquarters in Kupang on Saturday\nafternoon (15\/8), as quoted from Antara.<\/p>\n
At present, he said, definitive data on damage and casualties\nresulting from the earthquake is still being collected by local\ngovernments on Flores island.<\/p>\n
Melki said that since this morning he has been contacting a number of\nregional heads in Flores to record the damage occurring in their\nrespective areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have contacted the regents across mainland Flores regarding the\ncurrent conditions, to immediately check the situation in each area and\nprovide damage data to the provincial government,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The NTT provincial government has also been asked to promptly verify\nthe data so that aid distribution can be dispatched to the disaster\nlocations immediately.<\/p>\n
He added that the provincial government\u2019s current focus is evacuating\nearthquake victims to safe locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have asked supermarkets in the disaster areas to distribute food\nto the victims, and the government will reimburse them, while we await\naid distribution,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Melki also said that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has been\nmonitoring the post-earthquake response and has ordered a number of\nofficials to inspect the disaster sites directly.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he said that this afternoon, using a National Police\naircraft, he will directly inspect the disaster sites in Maumere as well\nas several other locations in Flores.<\/p>\n
Previously, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency\n(BMKG) Geophysical Station reported that as of 10.00 WITA, the number of\naftershocks following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Nagekeo Regency,\nEast Nusa Tenggara (NTT), had reached 111.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe latest information as of 10.00 WITA is that a total of 111\naftershocks have occurred,\u201d said Head of the BMKG Kupang Geophysical\nStation, Arief Tystama, in Kupang on Saturday morning, as quoted from\nAntara.<\/p>\n
He said that although there had been 111 aftershocks by 10.00 WITA,\nseismic activity is still ongoing, with the most recent magnitude\nrecorded at 3.8.<\/p>\n
Although the earthquake magnitudes have begun to decrease, his agency\nis urging the public in Flores to remain vigilant, as aftershocks are\nstill occurring. Meanwhile, regarding the tsunami early warning, he said\nit has now been lifted.<\/p>\n
Previously, BMKG issued a level 2 tsunami potential status for\nseveral coastal areas in NTT following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that\nstruck Mbay Village, Nagekeo Regency, on Saturday at 05.58 WITA local\ntime.<\/p>\n
The earthquake\u2019s epicentre was located at coordinates 8.41 degrees\nsouth latitude and 121.39 degrees east longitude. The location is\napproximately 30 kilometres offshore from Mbay-Nagekeo at a depth of 15\nkilometres.<\/p>\n
Until 07.03 WITA, BMKG maintained a level 2 tsunami early warning.\nThe warning covered areas in NTT, South Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara,\nand Southeast Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
In NTT, areas with alert status include northern Manggarai, northern\nNgada, northern West Manggarai, northern Ende, and northern Sikka.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, areas in South Sulawesi with alert status are Selayar,\nJeneponto, and Bantaeng.<\/p>\n
The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Regional Police Chief, Inspector General\nDr.\u00a0Rudi Darmoko, stressed that public safety is the top priority in the\nemergency response following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake.<\/p>\n
He said that NTT Regional Police personnel moved quickly to carry out\nevacuations and provide assistance to the public in several affected\nareas. According to the Police Chief, in the initial stage of the\nresponse, saving lives is the utmost priority. Meanwhile, the number of\ncasualties and the extent of damage are still being recorded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we are prioritising rescue first, while we are still compiling\nthe data,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ntt-governor-northern-flores-region-worst-affected-by-earthquake-1786776754", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }