Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia is stepping up relief and recovery efforts in several areas following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck waters north of Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara.
The Indonesian Government has delivered a total of 253 tonnes of relief supplies to quake-hit communities in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia’s national news agency ANTARA reported.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had instructed relevant agencies to accelerate the transport and distribution of aid.
The supplies include food, drinking water, tents, medical supplies and other essential items. Two command centres have been established in Labuan Bajo and Maumere to facilitate distribution. Relief operations are being conducted by land, sea and air, with helicopters, Cassa aircraft and other small planes used to reach difficult areas.
Three Indonesian Navy vessels have arrived in East Nusa Tenggara waters, while a navy hospital ship is preparing to enter the affected area.
Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported on August 18 that the number of casualties had reached 202, including 70 deaths and 132 injuries. Rescue teams continue to search affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said it had recorded 2,768 aftershocks as of 6:00 on August 19. The strongest measured magnitude 6.2, while the weakest was 1.1.
Arief Tyasmata, head of the BMKG Geophysical Station in Kupang, said seismic activity remained fluctuating, with no clear sign of a decline. The agency estimated that aftershock activity could take another two to three weeks to gradually stabilise.
BMKG urged residents to remain calm, follow official information and avoid spreading unverified reports that could cause public concern.
In a separate development, tourism activities at Mount Bromo in East Java will resume on August 20 after authorities completely extinguished a forest and land fire that had burned for 13 days.
The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Office said the reopening followed monitoring and evaluation of post-fire conditions, with visitor and staff safety prioritised. Online ticket sales resumed on August 19, with a daily quota of 2,752 visitors.
Tourists are required to follow officials' instructions and are prohibited from activities that could trigger fires, including lighting campfires and discarding cigarette butts or other flammable materials. They are also urged to immediately report any smoke, embers or other signs of fire to authorities./.
