NTB Governor assures basic needs and education for Sade children

West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal has assured that the basic needs of residents and the education of children in Sade affected by the fire disaster on Saturday night (22/8) are guaranteed by the regional government.

“The most important thing at the moment is that all members of the community and residents are safe,” said NTB Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal at the fire site on Saturday night (22/8) through an official statement received in Mataram on Sunday.

The NTB Governor went directly to the site of the major fire that struck the Sade Traditional Village, Rambitan Village, Pujut District, Central Lombok Regency, on Saturday night (22/8) after arriving from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) following four days accompanying a humanitarian mission for earthquake victims.

At the scene, Governor Iqbal was among firefighting personnel, TNI-Polri officers, and residents who were still battling the flames.

Iqbal stressed that the handling of residents must not stop at providing evacuation shelters. The government must immediately ensure that all basic needs of the community are met, including clothing, food, and a sense of security for families whose homes were affected by the fire.

“The first thing now, and it must be done quickly, is to attend to the needs and sense of security of the people whose homes were burned. Their clothing, food, and socio-economic activities must be ensured,” Iqbal emphasised.

The government’s attention is also directed at the children and families affected so that their lives are not further disrupted by the disaster. The governor stressed the importance of maintaining the continuity of education for the children of Sade amid the handling and post-fire recovery process.

“We will ensure that our children’s education is not disrupted,” he asserted.

For the next steps, Governor Iqbal said he would immediately coordinate with the Central Lombok Regent and all relevant parties to formulate swift and appropriate handling measures, including recovery and reconstruction plans for the Sade Traditional Village area.

“I will immediately communicate with the Central Lombok Regent to take swift and appropriate action. Later we will consider how to reconstruct the Sade Traditional Village,” he said.

Homes in the Sade traditional tourism village, Rambitan Village, Pujut District, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), caught fire on Saturday night (22/8).

Earlier, dozens of joint personnel from the Central Lombok Fire and Rescue Service, TNI, Polri, and residents battled to extinguish the flames in the fire disaster. Assistance in the form of fire engines from the NTB Provincial Government, Mataram City, West Lombok, and East Lombok was also deployed, while the extinguishing and cooling process continued until midnight.

Amid the firefighting efforts, the government immediately prepared emergency measures for residents who lost their homes.

For context, the Sade Traditional Village is not merely a residential area. This traditional village is one of the living spaces of the Sasak people who have maintained their ancestral traditions, dwelling forms, and way of life for dozens of generations.