Flores Earthquake: 346 Houses Destroyed, 770 Refugees in 3 Provinces

TheIndonesia.id - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) confirmed that 346 houses were destroyed while 770 residents evacuated due to a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Tuesday.

According to data as of Tuesday at 10:15 p.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB), of these 346 damaged houses, 134 suffered severe damage, while 212 incurred light damage.

According to BNPB’s official statement here on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, in addition to the people’s residences, the earthquake also destroyed three school buildings, two houses of worship, one village chief's home, and a harbor.

The BNPB said most damages to buildings occurred in Selayar Islands, South Sulawesi.

Some 770 refugees were reported by Sikka’s Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD). In detail, 320 people took shelter at Sikka’s Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) Office, 150 people at SIC Building, and 330 others were accommodated at Sikka’s District Head Office House.

Concerning fatalities, the BNPB confirmed no recorded deaths as a result of the earthquake.

However, seven residents suffered injuries comprising six Selayar residents and one resident of Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake in East Flores impacted nine districts in East Nusa Tenggara, three districts or cities in South Sulawesi, and six districts in Southeast Sulawesi.

The nine districts in East Nusa Tenggara are East Flores, Sikka, Lembata, Manggarai, Nagekeo, Sabu Raijua, West Manggarai, Ende, and Ngada.

Affected regions in South Sulawesi are Selayar, Bulukumba, and Makassar. Lastly, in Southeast Sulawesi, there are Muna, Buton, North Buton, Baubau, South Buton, and Wakatobi.

As of Wednesday at 7 a.m. WIB, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded 267 aftershocks.

Meanwhile, as of Tuesday night, 120 aftershocks were recorded, some of which had a magnitude of five or more.

“In response to these aftershocks, we urge residents, especially in the affected regions, to remain calm but maintain caution,” Acting Head of BNPB’s Disaster Information and Communication Data Center Abdul Muhari emphasized.

Muhari also requested residents to check the condition of their respective houses.

If there are any structural damages, such as cracked open walls and damaged pillars, then the people should avoid staying there for some time.

“Residents could take refuge at the house of an acquaintance or relative or move to temporary evacuation locations that the local institution and government had set up," he added.