BNPB: 142 deaths linked to Flores quake, 94 in evacuation sites
Indonesia’s disaster agency says 142 people died in connection with the 15 August 2026 Flores earthquake, including 48 from the direct impact of the magnitude 7.7 quake and 94 evacuees whose deaths were classified as indirect effects while…
By Mukmin John
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 3 min read
Labuan Bajo — Indonesia’s national disaster agency has confirmed that 142 people died in connection with the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, on 15 August 2026, with 48 deaths attributed to the direct impact of the quake and 94 occurring later among displaced people in evacuation sites, according to BNPB official Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan.
Speaking in a press conference on 15 September, Berton, acting head of the Data, Information and Disaster Communication Center at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), said the 94 people who died in evacuation settings were classified as victims of the disaster’s indirect impacts.
His remarks were carried by domestic outlets including IDXChannel, Republika and Tirto, which reported the same breakdown: 48 deaths from the immediate effects of the earthquake and 94 deaths recorded among evacuees, for a combined toll of 142 fatalities linked to the event.
What the numbers show
The figures released by BNPB can be summarized as follows.
- Direct deaths attributed to the earthquake: 48
- Deaths recorded as indirect impacts in evacuation settings: 94
- Combined death toll reported by BNPB: 142
Berton described the 94 deaths in evacuation sites as resulting from indirect impacts rather than from trauma caused by collapsing structures or other physical effects of the quake.
Subsequent clarifications from BNPB, reported by CNN Indonesia, VIVA and IDN Times, said verification with the Ministry of Health and medical teams indicated that most of the 94 evacuees who died were older people with chronic illnesses, such as stroke and diabetes, whose pre-existing conditions worsened while they were displaced.
Those reports noted that BNPB and the Ministry of Health concluded the 94 deaths were not caused by direct physical trauma from the earthquake or by being crushed under falling buildings, but were nonetheless counted as part of the disaster’s indirect toll.
Taken together, the public statements indicate that BNPB’s figures are intended to capture both immediate and longer-term impacts of the quake on affected communities, with the indirect category covering vulnerable evacuees whose health deteriorated after leaving their homes.
Displacement and damage
Berton also reported that the number of people sheltering in evacuation sites had fallen to 46,461 about one month after the quake, down from more than 150,000 in the days immediately following the disaster.
The figure for people still in shelters describes the remaining displaced population and is separate from the death toll.
Alongside the casualty numbers, BNPB said the earthquake damaged more than 100,000 houses across three categories of impact: heavy, moderate and light damage.
According to domestic media reports citing BNPB, these damage figures were still being validated and verified with local governments and national agencies, including civil registration offices (Dukcapil) and Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
Berton said the verification process aimed to establish records on a “by name by address” basis, confirming the owner and precise location of each damaged house to support reconstruction and assistance.
He also indicated that this verification involved seven affected districts, although detailed, district-level breakdowns of deaths and damage had not yet been published in the reports reviewed.
The latest casualty and damage figures therefore represent BNPB’s count as of the briefing on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 and subsequent clarifications later that week, rather than a final account accompanied by a publicly available, district-by-district methodology.
For families and communities, the distinction between direct and indirect impacts does not lessen the loss represented by the 142 deaths linked to the disaster.
It does, however, shape how authorities measure the consequences of the earthquake, allocate assistance and identify preventable risks in evacuation settings, particularly for older residents and people living with chronic illnesses.
Sources
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