7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes NTT, UMY Community Service Students Help Evacuate Residents
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday (15/8). Sixty-one students from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) on community service placements (KKN) in the area helped evacuate residents.
The students were undertaking KKN programmes in the Manggarai region. They were divided into two groups: Gema Pelita Nusantara (GPN) and Proyek Ekspedisi Nusantara (PENA).
The GPN group comprised 26 students stationed in Macang Tanggar Village, Komodo District, West Manggarai Regency. The PENA group consisted of 35 students serving in Nanga Mbaling Village, Sambi Rampas District, East Manggarai Regency.
According to reports from the UMY KKN students as of Saturday afternoon, there were no fatalities around the KKN locations. However, several residents suffered minor injuries due to panic during the earthquake.
“Most of the injured were women because they panicked during the first quake, and many fell and slipped,” said UMY KKN student representative Didan Oktanova Hermawan, known as Awan, in a written statement received by detikJogja on Saturday (15/8/2026).
The students then provided first aid to residents using first-aid kits they had brought. Before being deployed to the KKN locations, the students had received training in emergency management from the university.
In addition, each KKN group had an internal health division tasked with helping to handle emergency situations in the field.
Awan said the first earthquake occurred at around 05:58 WITA. At that time, some students were on cooking duty and preparing for the morning briefing.
After the main quake, a number of aftershocks were felt by students and residents. The situation made the community increasingly alert.
According to Awan, the sea water along the coast was observed to recede. Fishermen then took their boats out to sea.
The local hamlet head subsequently instructed residents and students to evacuate to higher ground.
“The local hamlet head immediately instructed residents and us students to go up to the hills as soon as the tsunami threat was detected,” he said.
Vulnerable groups were prioritised in the evacuation process. They were transported using open-bed vehicles, while other residents and students walked to the evacuation point.
In addition to helping with evacuation and first aid, the UMY KKN students also helped meet the logistical needs of residents at the evacuation site.
The rice supplies brought by the students were used to meet the communal food needs of residents. As of the time of the interview, logistical assistance from the government or the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) had not yet arrived at the KKN group’s location.
“The logistics happen to still be from us because the local government has not yet arrived,” Awan said.
UMY Conducts Assessment
UMY is also continuing to monitor the condition of students in the earthquake-affected areas. The UMY Directorate of Research and Community Service has communicated with the students and asked field supervisors (DPL) to conduct assessments.
A representative of the UMY Directorate of Research and Community Service, Dr Al-Afik, M.Kep., said students were also asked to immediately report the locations of resident evacuation points.
This information will be forwarded to the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Centre (MDMC) to support coordination with the local BPBD and the nearest PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital.
These measures were taken to ensure student safety while also assisting in the handling of residents affected by the earthquake around the UMY KKN locations.