Basarnas deploys three SAR offices for rapid assessment following Malut-Sulut earthquake
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Basarnas has deployed full personnel from three SAR Offices to carry out rapid assessments following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that triggered an early tsunami warning in North Maluku and North Sulawesi.
Basarnas Chief Mohammad Syafii, met in Jakarta on Thursday, stated that the involved SAR Offices are located in North Sulawesi, Maluku, and Palu. They have immediately mobilised alongside TNI, Polri, BPBD, and other SAR potentials to ensure the condition of residents and the extent of damage.
“The teams in the field are immediately conducting rapid assessments to determine the impact of the incident, both on victims and building damage,” he said.
Basarnas hopes that residents in the affected areas can feel safer and more comfortable with the full readiness of SAR personnel, as follow-up disasters could prompt expedited evacuations if they occur.
According to him, a rapid response is highly feasible given their utilisation of an integrated information system with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), allowing every warning to be received directly at the command centre and relayed to field units.
“We are carrying out our duties, conducting assessments on residents and the impact on buildings, particularly in this case under the coordination of BNPB,” he said.
The 7.6 magnitude earthquake previously shook the southwest area of Batang Dua Island, Ternate, North Maluku, with tremors felt in several regions such as Ternate, Manado, and Gorontalo up to intensity IV on the MMI scale.
Subsequently, tsunami waves were briefly detected after the earthquake in several coastal areas, including West Halmahera at 0.30 metres, Bitung at 0.20 metres, and North Minahasa at 0.75 metres.
BMKG eventually announced the end of the early tsunami warning at 09:56 WIB, allowing the joint SAR teams to proceed with identifying affected areas.
BMKG released tide gauge observation data in stages three times, approximately 59 minutes, 1 hour 38 minutes, and up to 3 hours 45 minutes after the earthquake, in accordance with standard operational procedures.
The monitoring results served as the basis for decision-making until the early tsunami warning was declared over.
The BNPB Operations Control Centre Directorate currently records reports of one fatality in Manado City, one person with minor injuries, and 16 affected families in Minahasa Regency.
For infrastructure damage, five government office units, one hotel, and one public facility in the form of the KONI building were damaged in Manado City. In Minahasa Regency, two hospitals were reported as heavily damaged, more than 10 houses affected, one government office damaged, and one public facility impacted.
In Ternate City, one church building and two house units were reported damaged due to the earthquake.