Flores Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 71 as Aid Efforts Continue

August 19, 2026 | 08:23 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said the death toll from a series of earthquakes in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province has risen by one to 71 as of Wednesday, with fatalities recorded between August 15 and 19, 2026.

The latest fatality was reported in Nagekeo Regency, BNPB Acting Head of Disaster Data, Information and Communication Berton SP Panjaitan said.

“The death toll has increased by one to 71, in Nagekeo Regency. On behalf of the government, we extend our condolences to the families of those who died and continue to ensure that aid is distributed to people currently staying in evacuation centers and affected areas,” Berton said during an online press briefing from Jakarta on Wednesday.

Berton urged earthquake survivors in NTT to remain calm, saying the government was continuing to ensure that basic needs were met in affected areas.

Aid Distribution Faces Access Challenges

As of Tuesday, August 18, at 6 p.m. Jakarta time, BNPB had delivered 165 tons of relief supplies by air. A total of 398 tons of aid had been distributed between August 15 and 18.

Land transport remains the main method of delivering assistance.

“We are also facing challenges due to Flores' geographical conditions, which are currently difficult to access. Therefore, aid is being distributed gradually, depending on access conditions from subdistricts to evacuation points,” Berton said.

BNPB is also optimizing sea transportation to reach areas requiring large quantities of relief supplies.

The agency said the large number of people who evacuated independently has also made it more difficult for response teams to distribute assistance in a timely manner.

“We need time to collect data, and access to villages is difficult because road conditions remain unstable,” Berton said.

Nearly 60,000 People Evacuated

Berton said assisting displaced residents remains the government's main priority, as many people have chosen not to return home because their houses were damaged and they remain concerned about aftershocks.

The number of people displaced across NTT has reached 59,647, with the largest concentration recorded in Manggarai Regency.

“We are ensuring that basic needs such as food and clean water, tents, mattresses and blankets, sanitation and hygiene supplies, as well as assistance for vulnerable groups are met,” Berton said.

He added that evacuation efforts were not being concentrated in a single location because earthquake survivors remained scattered across numerous areas.

BNPB is continuing to distribute aid based on conditions and accessibility in each affected area as authorities work to reach communities in remote parts of Flores.

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