NTT Earthquake Update: 48 Dead, SAR Team Expands Search
The Joint SAR Team continues to expand its search and rescue operation on the second day following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the northeast of Mbay, Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The main focus of officers is currently sweeping affected areas and attending to residents in need of emergency assistance.
Based on preliminary data collected up to Sunday (16/8) at 08.30 Wita, the number of residents affected by the disaster has reached 112 people. The data verification process continues alongside evacuation efforts in the field.
Head of the Maumere SAR Office and SAR Mission Coordinator, Fathur Rahman, explained that the second day of operations is prioritised at two main locations, namely Mbay in Nagekeo Regency and the Reo area in Manggarai Regency.
Since 06.00 Wita, SAR personnel and equipment have been deployed to crucial locations. One of the key achievements in this morning’s operation was the reopening of land access to the Reo area, which had previously been completely cut off due to landslide material.
“The Rescue Team from the West Manggarai SAR Post tasked with conducting searches in the East Manggarai region has successfully accessed the land route in the Reo area. With this access opened, the search can be expanded again to reach areas that were previously isolated,” said Fathur Rahman.
In addition to conducting physical searches, the Joint SAR Team is also strengthening coordination with the Regional Disaster Management Agency and various other SAR potential elements. This step is being taken to ensure that casualty data remains accurate given the dynamic nature of the information.
Fathur urged residents in affected areas to remain calm but vigilant against potential aftershocks. Residents are asked to always follow official instructions from officers in the field and not be easily provoked by information from unclear sources.
As many as 986 tourists who had been stranded on Padar Island due to the temporary closure of shipping have been successfully repatriated and arrived safely back in Labuan Bajo.
As of 15.00 WITA, at least 33 people were reported dead in the Greater Manggarai area, namely East Manggarai, Manggarai and West Manggarai Regencies.
Deputy Speaker of the Regional Representative Council, Yorrys Raweyai, expressed his deep condolences over the earthquake disaster that struck the East Nusa Tenggara region in the early hours of Saturday (15/8).
The East Java Provincial Government dispatched a Rapid Reaction Team from the Regional Disaster Management Agency to NTT to assist with post-earthquake handling following the 7.7 magnitude quake that shook the Mbay Nagekeo area.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Nagekeo, NTT, resulted in 47 fatalities and thousands of damaged buildings. The government has declared a state of emergency in several affected areas.
Pertamina Patra Niaga has restored operations at 32 fuel stations in Flores following the 15 August 2026 earthquake. Distribution of fuel, LPG and kerosene in NTT is being monitored.
Perum Bulog is moving quickly to distribute food aid in the form of rice and cooking oil to communities affected by the earthquake in several areas of NTT.