Nagekeo Primary School Boy Survives 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake

His steps were slow and limping as he hurried across a slope from SDK Rowa towards his home. The student, named Yosep Fenansius Tiba, is one of the many victims of the earthquake on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

When the powerful tremor struck, Yosep was sleeping in a bedroom of his house in Rowa Village, Boawae District, Nagekeo Regency. The fifth-grade student at SDK Rowa did feel the shaking.

However, in his mind it was not a large earthquake. He pulled a piece of cloth to wrap his body again and continue sleeping. Suddenly, a massive earthquake shook.

At that moment, Yosep had no time to escape. He stayed inside the room. Thud, a brick fell and hit his left knee. The 11-year-old student could no longer bear the pain.

At the same time, most of the walls of his house collapsed. Although he was screaming in pain, he spontaneously jumped out to leave his house. He did this to avoid being crushed by large building materials.

“That Saturday morning, I was sleeping. I thought it was a small earthquake, so I went back to sleep. The earthquake got bigger, a brick fell and crushed my leg,” Yosep said when met at SDK Rowa on Monday (24/8/2026).

Yosep recounted that the house building collapsed at that time. After that, he did not know the whereabouts of his parents, even though they had saved themselves earlier.

“After getting out, I went to the main road to look for my mother,” Yosep explained.

Currently, his left knee has suffered a serious impact, but there is no fracture and only internal bruising. However, Yosep remains enthusiastic about accepting every assignment from his teacher.

“Indeed, at that time I panicked. I jumped because I was afraid of dying,” Yosep said in a soft tone.

At SDK Rowa, Yosep and several of his injured friends received donations from the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen), Abdul Mu’ti. Yosep received cash, a bag, stationery and clothes.

In addition, they also received trauma healing from the Mendikdasmen team. The trauma healing has made Yosep no longer afraid of aftershocks.

“Very happy and no longer afraid. Earlier I also got a primary school friend shirt,” Yosep added.

The Head of the Education and Culture Office of Nagekeo Regency, Tarsisius Djogo, confirmed that a number of students who were injured after being crushed by building materials have received medical treatment.

“They have been handled medically well. We hope they recover quickly,” said Tarsisius.