Only Days into October, Indonesia Hit by Various Disasters
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has recorded several disasters occurring in Indonesia during the early days of October 2026.
In the first week of October, the BNPB noted that disasters were dominated by forest and land fires (karhutla), with three new incidents in the provinces of Bangka Belitung Islands, South Sulawesi, and Central Java, as well as one report of flooding in North Sumatra Province.
Flooding hits Nias
The BNPB received reports of flooding affecting Hilimbowo Village, O’o’u District, and Ndraso Maniamolo Village, Maniamolo District, in South Nias Regency, North Sumatra, on Friday (2/10).
“High rainfall was the trigger for this event. Approximately 75 households were affected, with temporary damage including around 60 houses, one health facility, one educational facility, and one village hall,” quoted from a BNPB statement on the bnpb.go.id website, Sunday (4/10/2026).
The South Nias Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), along with village, district, and relevant departmental governments, has coordinated and conducted rapid assessments to identify the impact of the flood.
As of the latest report, the floodwaters are gradually receding. Follow-up measures are planned, including the removal of mud material and the normalisation of rivers and retaining walls.
Forest fires persist
Regarding forest fire reports, the first incident was reported by the Central Bangka BPBD in Padang Baru Village, Pangkalan Baru District, on Thursday (1/10) at 15:39 WIB. Initial information was received by the Squad Commander 2 from residents reporting fires around the Perbakin area.
The Central Bangka BPBD immediately deployed Rapid Response Team personnel along with one water tanker unit with a 5,000-litre capacity and firefighting equipment.
Efforts were carried out alongside firefighters, the Bangka Central Police Samapta unit, BPBD volunteers, and the local community. Despite facing challenges from strong winds, the fire was successfully extinguished at 17:35 WIB. The area of burnt land is estimated to reach 10 hectares.
Based on an information update on Friday (2/10) at 17:50 WIB, the Rapid Response Team of the Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial BPBD also reported that the fire had been successfully extinguished.
Next, in Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi, a forest fire occurred in Bonto Lojong, Uluere District, on Thursday (1/01) at approximately 21:30 WITA. The fire is estimated to have affected 25 hectares of land, while the cause is still under investigation.
As of Friday (2/10) at 04:00 WITA, fires were still burning at several points. The Bantaeng Regency BPBD Rapid Response Team, alongside firefighters, the TNI, Polri, village and district governments, and the local community, continue to monitor and manage the situation. The BPBD has also conducted an initial assessment and is coordinating with relevant parties to support fire control efforts.
Meanwhile, a forest fire in Purbalingga Regency, Central Java, occurred on Friday (2/10) at 10:20 WIB in Dawuhan Village, Padamara District. The fire began in a sugarcane field behind a resident’s house and subsequently spread to the surrounding area.
Officers from the Purbalingga Regency BPBD Operations Control Centre (Pusdalops) in the vicinity immediately reported the incident to the BPBD and the Purbalingga Regency Fire Department. The fire, believed to be triggered by hot weather and dry leaves, burnt approximately 2.5 hectares of sugarcane.
A joint team consisting of the BPBD Rapid Response Team, firefighters, TNI, Polri, village government, and the community worked to extinguish the fire until it was controlled at 12:30 WIB. There were no casualties or direct impact on the community in this incident.
Responding to the high frequency of forest fires across various regions, the BNPB urges the public not to clear land by burning, not to discard cigarette butts carelessly, and to immediately report any fire spots to local officials.
The BNPB also advises local governments and the public to increase vigilance at the start of October, considering that the transitional period (pancaroba) is often characterised by sudden extreme weather, such as heavy rain with extreme temperatures and short-duration strong winds.
Precautionary measures include cleaning gutters, drains, and roof gutters of rubbish to ensure smooth water flow and prevent local flooding during sudden heavy rain, as well as pruning old or overly thick tree branches near houses to prevent them from falling during strong winds, and monitoring weather forecasts and early warnings from the BMKG.
Earthquake shakes Sumba
Additionally, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck Southwest Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday morning (4/10) at 05:55 WIB.
The epicentre was located at sea, 14 km southwest of Kodi, Southwest Sumba, at a depth of 10 km at coordinates 9.70 LS - 118.92 BT. The earthquake was reported to have no tsunami potential.
Based on preliminary monitoring by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the tremors were felt strongly for approximately one minute in several areas, including Southwest Sumba Regency, West Sumba Regency, and West Manggarai Regency.
While some members of the public felt the earthquake, the situation remained conducive and there was no panic.
As of the publication of this press release, the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) is still conducting post-earthquake monitoring in the field, and there have been no reports of damage or casualties.
The BNPB urges the local community to remain calm, not to be influenced by unverified information, and to ensure that information is sourced from official agencies.
In the event of aftershocks, the public is advised to avoid cracked buildings and to stay away from the shoreline temporarily.