August 16, 2026 | 09:02 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) is deploying a joint assistance unit to evacuate victims affected by the earthquake in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The deployment is scheduled for Saturday night, August 15, 2026.
The Head of the National Police Public Relations Division, Inspector General Johnny Eddizon Isir, stated that the deployed force consists of one Company-sized Unit (SSK) of Search and Rescue (SAR) personnel from the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob)—specifically from the Pasukan Pelopor (Pioneer Force)—accompanied by six medical personnel and doctors.
Specifically, the deployment includes 100 personnel from the National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob), three Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) specialists, three Logistics Staff members, a trauma healing team from the National Police Psychology Bureau, and personnel from the Public Relations Division. "We are preparing our full force in stages, based on needs in the field," Johnny said in a written statement on Saturday.
He stated that the personnel would bring Search and Rescue (SAR) support and equipment to assist in the search and rescue of victims. DVI and medical teams are also being deployed to assist with victim identification and provide healthcare services to affected communities.
The National Police are also preparing a K9 unit to support the search for victims, particularly at sites where buildings have collapsed. "The deployment of the K9 unit is planned for the next phase, once the tally of personnel and transport requirements is finalized," he noted.
In the initial phase, the National Police are also preparing logistical support consisting of 10 platoon-sized tents, 10 portable Wi-Fi units, and 240 cartons of instant food supplies. These supplies, Johnny said, will be transported from Pondok Cabe using a National Police CN-295 aircraft.
Meanwhile, efforts to gather data on casualties and damage are ongoing. However, he noted that the process is facing communication hurdles due to network disruptions in parts of Flores.
"Data on casualties and damage is still being collected and verified because the situation on the ground remains fluid, compounded by communication issues in several areas," Johnny said.
They are also coordinating with the regional police forces (Polda) closest to the disaster site—specifically West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Bali, and East Java—including the establishment of aid posts. "We are preparing all of this to accelerate the search, rescue, and assistance processes for the affected communities," he stated.
As of 12:30 PM WIB (Western Indonesian Time), the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) has recorded 14 fatalities resulting from the Flores earthquake on Saturday, August 15, 2026. Additionally, two people sustained serious injuries, and 11 suffered minor injuries. "Based on data updated as of 12:30 WIB, 14 fatalities, two serious injuries, and 11 minor injuries have been recorded. This data is still undergoing collection, verification, and validation in the field," said Berton SP Panjaitan, Acting Head of the BNPB's Center for Disaster Data, Information, and Communication, as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Saturday.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Flores region of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday morning at approximately 04:58 WIB. In addition to casualties, the earthquake caused structural damage and sparked panic among residents due to a tsunami warning. The BNPB provided a breakdown of the fatalities recorded across three regencies.
Three people died in Sikka, six in Manggarai, and five in East Manggarai. Meanwhile, injuries were reported in the regencies of Sikka, Nagekeo, Manggarai, and East Manggarai.
Beyond the casualties, approximately 2,000 residents evacuated or self-evacuated. This evacuation took place after the main earthquake struck the region and was accompanied by an early tsunami warning.
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