Basarnas helicopter evacuates elderly and toddler injured in NTT earthquake

Basarnas deployed a helicopter to evacuate three victims of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in East Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), who required emergency medical treatment.

Basarnas Chief Mohammad Syafii, in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday, said the air evacuation was carried out using a Dauphin AS 365 N3+ HR-3604 helicopter on standby at Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo.

“The joint SAR team immediately evacuated three victims, one of whom was a five-year-old girl. All three suffered fractures and bone dislocations due to the earthquake tremors,” he said.

Upon arrival at Komodo Airport, he continued, the three survivors, who are residents of Haju Wangi Village and Satar Padut Village in North Lamba Leda District, were immediately taken to a referral hospital to receive intensive medical care from a team of doctors.

Basarnas Chief M Syafii instructed all joint SAR personnel and SAR potential to remain on full alert in responding to reports from residents, especially those requiring emergency medical evacuation in affected areas such as East Manggarai, Manggarai, and Nagekeo.