President Orders BNPB to Affected Areas of Earthquake in North Sulawesi and North Maluku
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has directly ordered the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and related institutions to immediately head to the locations affected by the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in North Maluku and North Sulawesi on Thursday morning.
In a statement from the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom) received in Jakarta on Thursday, BNPB Head Suharyanto said President Prabowo had received reports on the earthquake and immediately issued instructions for emergency handling to be carried out as quickly as possible.
“The President has received reports since this morning and has ordered us at BNPB, BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency), and Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency) under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, to directly assist the affected communities,” said BNPB Head Suharyanto.
“And we have been instructed to depart for the disaster areas early this morning as well,” he added.
He stated that this swift action demonstrates the government’s seriousness in prioritising public safety, especially for disaster victims.
BNPB has requested all elements in the regions, from regional disaster management agencies (BPBD), TNI, Police, to ministries and institutions, to collaborate in activating emergency response posts in each regency/city. These posts are expected to ensure that the basic needs of affected communities are met.
“From these posts, ensure that the basic needs of affected communities, such as food logistics, clothing, clean water, and so on, are properly fulfilled,” he said.
BNPB has also asked local governments to immediately collect and verify the damages caused by the disaster, including residents’ homes, hospitals, and other public facilities.
“Please form teams immediately to conduct assessments and verifications so that the data collected today, which is partial, becomes more complete and accurate over time,” he said.
BNPB has also emphasised the importance of the presence of BPBD Executive Heads directly among the affected communities to provide accurate information and ensure that victims who have suffered losses are handled promptly.
“On one hand, providing correct information, and on the other, if there are affected communities facing difficulties or whose assets or homes are damaged, they can be reported immediately and compensated at the earliest opportunity,” he stated.
Furthermore, BNPB has requested Basarnas to immediately form special teams to go to the field. The aim is to ensure that the number of survivors and fatalities is accurately recorded.
“There may still be other victims who need to be searched for, found, and helped; search and rescue teams will be formed immediately,” he explained.
Suharyanto assured that a joint team from the central government under BNPB coordination will be promptly dispatched to the affected areas in North Maluku and North Sulawesi to strengthen on-site handling.
“Upon arrival there, we will hold more detailed meetings to discuss, identify, and resolve all disaster management issues in the region,” explained Suharyanto.
Previously, the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that occurred in the waters off Bitung, North Sulawesi and North Maluku, on Thursday at 06:48 WITA, was strongly felt in Manado City.