President Prabowo Orders Emergency Classrooms for Earthquake-Damaged Schools in East Nusa Tenggara

President Prabowo Orders Emergency Classrooms for Earthquake-Damaged Schools in East Nusa Tenggara

President Prabowo Subianto has ordered immediate establishment of temporary classroom facilities to ensure educational continuity in East Nusa Tenggara following the devastating earthquake that left 80 percent of schools in Nagekeo District unable to operate.

The directive came during a coordination meeting on disaster response in Tonggurambang Village, Nagekeo District, on Wednesday, where the president told assembled government officials, military personnel, and local authorities that schooling must continue without interruption.

"Schooling must not stop, so bring in more tents,"

Prabowo said, after Nagekeo District Head Simplisius Donatus reported the extent of damage to educational infrastructure in the district, which has a population of approximately 168,355 people spread across 1,398.08 square kilometers on Flores Island.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 5:58 a.m. Central Indonesian Time on Saturday, August 15, with its epicenter located approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Mbay, the capital of Nagekeo, at a depth of 15 kilometers. The powerful tremor, the strongest to hit the Flores region since 1992, prompted the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency to issue tsunami warnings for 22 cities, districts, and islands across four provinces. Observed tsunami waves ranging from 0.17 to 0.94 meters in height were recorded before the warning was lifted at 7:31 a.m.

Early data indicates that 93 education facilities were affected by the earthquake across the region, alongside damage to 36 health facilities and 38 government offices. The seismic activity has continued, with 37 aftershocks occurring within hours of the main tremor, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.2. By August 21, authorities had recorded 4,258 aftershocks, which are predicted to continue for three to four weeks.

Emergency Classroom Solutions

National Disaster Management Agency Head Suharyanto explained that BNPB platoon tents, designed to accommodate 30 to 50 people, would temporarily serve as emergency classrooms. These tents have previously been deployed for similar purposes in disaster-affected regions of Sumatra in January 2026.

"The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has also prepared tents, which are currently being shipped,"

Suharyanto added, noting the coordinated response to restore educational access.

Following the meeting, President Prabowo visited displaced residents at evacuation shelters in Nagekeo District to assess conditions firsthand. Addressing evacuees, he assured them that the government was preparing temporary facilities and renovating damaged buildings to resume classes as quickly as possible.

"For safety reasons, classes may have to be held in tents for now,"

the president told the displaced residents, reaffirming the government's commitment to supporting affected communities throughout the recovery process until normal conditions are restored.

Massive Relief Operation

The government has mounted a substantial relief operation in response to the disaster. BNPB mobilized 275 tons of relief supplies immediately after the earthquake, and by August 21, Indonesia had airlifted 777 tons of emergency aid to East Nusa Tenggara using both military and commercial aircraft.

According to BNPB Head Suharyanto, the death toll from the earthquake has reached 105, while 1,678 people were injured and 179,073 displaced from their homes.

The Flores region sits within Indonesia's position in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Between 1900 and 2022, the region experienced 79 earthquakes larger than magnitude 6.0, eleven of which generated tsunamis, underscoring the recurring seismic challenges facing infrastructure development and disaster preparedness in the area.