August 18, 2026 | 08:37 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto’s planned visit to areas affected by the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is still being prepared, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said.
Prasetyo said a presidential visit to a disaster zone requires special preparations because conditions on the ground differ from those during routine visits.
“The visit is being planned. But we also need to understand that in the early stages, given the conditions on the ground, we sometimes choose to focus first on addressing the problems,” Prasetyo told reporters at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday evening, August 18, 2026.
He said the central government was monitoring the disaster response on a daily basis. Government ministries and agencies, including the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), have been providing regular updates.
Prasetyo also praised regional governments for sending aid to communities affected by the earthquake, including the Central Java provincial government.
“We also appreciate the many regional governments that have sent assistance, including the Central Java provincial government. This is a sign of our solidarity in helping our fellow citizens affected by this disaster,” he said.
Asked whether Prabowo could visit NTT this week, Prasetyo said the government was still assessing conditions on the ground.
“We’ll see. We’ll see the conditions on the ground,” he said.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck NTT early Saturday, August 15. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) issued an early tsunami warning following the quake, which ended at 7:30 a.m. local time.
Prabowo previously said the government was working to provide the best possible response for residents affected by the earthquake, directing relevant agencies to address conditions on the ground.
“We want to ensure that our fellow citizens there receive rapid and comprehensive emergency assistance,” Prabowo said in a post on his personal Instagram account, @prabowo, on Sunday, August 16.
The government had sent 50,000 packages of basic necessities to NTT on Saturday to help meet the needs of residents affected by the disaster, Prabowo said.
He also instructed government agencies to coordinate across sectors to ensure a swift and targeted post-earthquake response and ordered officials to directly assess conditions in the affected areas.
Prabowo also called on state-owned logistics company Bulog, electricity provider PLN, energy company Pertamina and telecommunications firm Telkom Indonesia to take part in the disaster response.
The president expressed his sympathy and prayers for affected residents, stressing that public safety and access to basic necessities remained the government’s top priorities during the emergency.
“People’s safety and basic needs are the most important things right now,” he said.
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