Home Ministry investigates 108 shelter deaths after Flores earthquake
The Home Ministry is checking reports that 108 Flores earthquake survivors died in shelters. BNPB said 22,383 people remained displaced across seven affected regencies on September 30.
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Maumere — The Home Ministry is investigating reports that 108 earthquake survivors died while staying in evacuation shelters across East Nusa Tenggara after the Flores earthquake, according to The Jakarta Post on October 2, 2026.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that 22,383 people were still sheltering across seven affected regencies on Flores as of September 30, 2026. The report said 48 people were killed directly by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Flores Island on August 15, 2026.
Home Minister Tito Karnavian said he was coordinating with regional heads across the province before reaching a conclusion about the reported deaths among survivors in evacuation shelters. He said any inadequate treatment or handling would be evaluated.
Why the shelter deaths matter to Flores readers
The reported deaths concern people who survived the earthquake but remained dependent on emergency accommodation and services. The shelter population was still spread across seven affected regencies on Flores at the end of September, according to BNPB data cited by The Jakarta Post.
The figures distinguish deaths occurring after the disaster from deaths caused directly by the earthquake. The Jakarta Post reported that BNPB recorded 108 deaths among people staying in shelters and 48 deaths caused directly by the earthquake.
The Home Ministry’s review is intended to establish what happened in the shelters and whether shortcomings in treatment or disaster handling contributed to any deaths. Tito said the ministry was first checking the information with local governments.
The investigation follows the August 15 earthquake, which The Jakarta Post described as having a magnitude of 7.7. The report identified East Nusa Tenggara as the province affected and Flores Island as the location of the earthquake and evacuation shelters.
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