Aid Continues to Arrive for Victims of Flores Timur Earthquake
The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government is distributing logistical aid in the form of rice and canned fish to earthquake victims in Flores Timur Regency, NTT, amid conditions where residents are still experiencing repeated tremors.
“Yesterday’s provincial logistics arrived and were received at the Flores Timur logistics warehouse (BPBD) consisting of 2 tons of rice and 850 cans of fish,” said the Head of the Emergency and Logistics Division of the Flores Timur BPBD, Ita Tukan, to detikBali on Tuesday (14/4/2026).
Ita stated that the distribution of logistics to evacuees would take place on Wednesday (15/4).
“Distribution will be carried out tomorrow to the affected areas,” she added.
A total of 2,019 residents are displaced due to the shallow 4.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Flores Timur Regency on Wednesday (8/4). A total of 368 housing units were damaged, spread across 14 villages in two sub-districts.
“18 people suffered minor injuries,” she concluded.
Residents Admit to Stress from Repeated Earthquakes
Meanwhile, Mel Mekeng, an office worker in Waiwerang Town, Adonara Island, East Adonara Sub-district, admitted to being stressed because earthquakes continue to occur until Sunday (12/4/2026).
“It’s already six times, it’s dizzying. We’re really stressed. We run. Some friends choose to stay put because they’re bored. We panic because we can’t predict if the vibrations are quick or long. From Wednesday until now, the duration of the tremors is 5 to 6 seconds,” she said on Sunday afternoon.
PVMBG Explains Cause of Aftershocks
The Head of the Nusa Tenggara (NTT-NTB) Region Volcanic Monitoring and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre, PVMBG, Geological Agency, Ghele Radja Arios, explained that the repeated earthquakes occur due to rocks beneath the surface still seeking balance.
“The earthquakes that occur repeatedly, or aftershocks, happen because the rocks underground are seeking a new equilibrium after a major shift,” said Arios when confirmed by detikBali on Saturday (11/4).
Arios said that when an earthquake releases energy, a fault occurs and that fault does not disappear.
“When the main earthquake releases massive energy, the stress on the fault does not disappear instantly, but shifts to surrounding areas and triggers additional small cracks,” he added.
He further noted that tectonic plate movement occurs constantly.
“Energy accumulated on rough rock surfaces (asperity) is often released gradually through a series of vibrations rather than in a single event,” he emphasised.