Indonesia Dispatches 27 Tons of Emergency Relief to Earthquake-Hit East Nusa Tenggara
The Indonesian government has airlifted 27 tons of emergency supplies to East Nusa Tenggara following a devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake that killed at least 47 people and prompted large-scale rescue operations across the region.
Government Delivers Emergency Aid Following Devastating Earthquake
The Indonesian government completed airlifting 27 tons of emergency relief supplies to earthquake-devastated areas in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
"This is the last flight group for Saturday. The remaining 27 tons of supplies were sent to NTT on various Hercules aircraft on the same day," Wijaya stated on Sunday.
Earthquake Claims Dozens of Lives
The relief effort follows a magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck Nagekeo District on Saturday morning, claiming at least 47 lives across multiple districts in the province. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency initially issued a tsunami warning following the tremor, which was lifted at 7:30 a.m. Western Indonesia Time.
Presidential Order for Immediate Response
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered an immediate cross-sectoral response to the disaster, directing senior government officials to conduct on-site assessments of affected areas. The deployment includes Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo, and heads of both the National Disaster Management Agency and National Search and Rescue Agency.
Deputy ministers for health and social affairs have also been dispatched to coordinate medical and humanitarian assistance on the ground.
Casualty Distribution Across Five Districts
According to preliminary data from the National Disaster Management Agency, fatalities were distributed across five districts:
- 24 deaths in Manggarai District
- 17 in East Manggarai District
- three in Sikka District
- one each in Ngada and Ende districts
Acting Head of the agency's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Berton SP Panjaitan confirmed these figures on Saturday evening.
Large-Scale Mobilization of Personnel and Resources
The government has mobilized over 3,500 personnel from the Indonesian Defense Forces and National Police to support recovery and evacuation operations throughout Flores and other affected areas in East Nusa Tenggara. These forces are spread across Manggarai, Maumere, Flores, and additional impacted zones.
State-owned enterprises including PLN, Pertamina, and Telkom have deployed teams to restore essential infrastructure, with priority given to electricity, fuel distribution, and telecommunications networks in disaster-affected communities.
Wijaya emphasized the administration's commitment to accelerating post-earthquake response operations through coordinated deployment of both civilian and military resources to ensure swift recovery and relief delivery to impacted populations.