Eighth Day After NTT Earthquake, BNPB Records 53,971 Damaged Homes

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is continuing intensive data collection on building damage following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). By the eighth day after the disaster, Saturday (22/8), a total of 53,971 homes had been recorded as damaged across seven affected districts.

Head of BNPB Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto explained that the data collection process is running in parallel with the emergency response phase. This step is being taken to ensure that all needs of affected communities can be identified quickly and accurately.

“The data collection serves as the basis for determining support in the next phase of handling. BNPB, through the Deputy for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, has deployed teams to seven districts to prepare the verification and validation process,” Suharyanto said in a written statement on Sunday (23/8).

Based on provisional data, East Manggarai Regency is the area with the highest level of damage, reaching 17,039 homes.

BNPB emphasised that these figures remain provisional. Currently, name-by-name and address-by-address (BNBA) data down to the village level has been obtained for nearly all areas, except Manggarai Regency, where data input is targeted for completion within the next one to two days.

In Nagekeo Regency, field verification has been underway for two days by the local government. If the current analysis is deemed valid, the data will be formalised through a regional head decree. However, BNPB will still conduct sampling to ensure data accuracy before aid is distributed.

Damage data, particularly for the heavily damaged category, will serve as the primary reference for determining the provision of temporary shelter (Huntara) and housing waiting funds (DTH) for residents who have lost their homes.