Indonesian govt steps up response after 7.7-magnitude quake

hartono · Aug 15, 2026

Indonesian govt steps up response after 7.7-magnitude quake

A resident walked past Jayakarta Hotel building which was damaged by the earthquake in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, Wast Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday (August 15, 2026). (ANTARA FOTO/Gecio Viana/sth/nz)

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s government stepped up monitoring and emergency preparedness after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday, prompting tsunami warnings in several coastal areas.

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said he had coordinated with officials to ensure all relevant agencies were prepared to respond during the initial aftermath of the earthquake.

"Since this morning, I have coordinated with the coordinating minister for human development and culture, the heads of Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency), BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency), and BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Agency), as well as the NTT governor," Hadi said in Jakarta.

The government was monitoring developments and would ensure a swift response if necessary. He also urged the public to pray for residents affected by the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara Province.

"Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in NTT who experienced a very strong earthquake this morning," he said.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara on Saturday morning and was felt as far away as Lombok in neighboring West Nusa Tenggara.

According to Indonesia’s BMKG, the earthquake occurred at 5:58 a.m. local time, with its epicenter north of Mbay, Nagekeo District. The quake was located at 8.33 degrees south latitude and 121.32 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 10 Km.

BMKG issued a tsunami warning after the earthquake. Waves measuring 0.19 meter were recorded in Sikka, 0.36 meter in Labuan Bajo and 0.17 meter in Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara.