Manggarai Barat Verifies 10,757 Earthquake-Damaged Homes for Repairs

Labuan Bajo — Manggarai Barat authorities have verified 10,757 houses damaged in the 15 August earthquake and are moving into rehabilitation and reconstruction work after field assessment, according to local and national reporting.

The damage tally comes from verification teams that were deployed to all 164 villages and five urban wards in the regency. Officials said the assessment was intended to distinguish lightly, moderately and severely damaged homes before repairs begin.

Manggarai Barat Regent Edistasius Endi said the local government and the central government would be responsible for repairing disaster-damaged homes, and that household recovery is a medium-term priority. The report did not announce a final repair schedule or a funding breakdown.

Assessment before reconstruction

Authorities said the data collection phase was meant to be completed before physical construction starts. The regency was also considering relocation for settlements in areas vulnerable to ground movement, including Wae Dangka hamlet in Racang Welak village and Robo hamlet in Robo village, both in Welak district.

The administration has also been asking for additional tarpaulins and blankets for displaced residents as part of the immediate response, while public facilities such as schools, health posts, roads, bridges and clean-water systems are to be addressed after private homes.

At the provincial level, Indonesia’s disaster agency said that as of 30 August, 188,161 people were still displaced across East Nusa Tenggara after the earthquake. BNPB said 111 people had died and 1,631 were injured, while 95,567 homes were damaged across the province.

BNPB’s provincial tally included 46,161 lightly damaged homes, 21,992 moderately damaged homes and 27,414 severely damaged homes. The agency said the largest concentrations of displaced people were in Manggarai and Nagekeo, with additional displacement in East Manggarai, West Manggarai, Ngada, Sikka and Ende.

The earthquake struck on 15 August and triggered emergency relief across the affected part of Flores. In Manggarai Barat, the recovery focus is now shifting from damage verification to repairs and, where needed, relocation.

Sources

• Detik Bali
• Tempo