Most Flores quake deaths occurred in shelters, prompting investigation calls

East Manggarai — Critics and disaster experts are urging authorities to investigate conditions in evacuation shelters across Flores Island after Indonesia’s national disaster agency confirmed that most deaths linked to the August 15 magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred after survivors had already fled damaged homes.

According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), 142 people have died in connection with the Flores quake, including 94 who passed away in evacuation centers and 48 who were killed directly by the disaster.

BNPB acting spokesperson Berton SP Panjaitan disclosed the figures at a press briefing in Jakarta, saying that around 150,000 residents across Flores were displaced and living in shelters following the earthquake, which triggered brief tsunami alerts and caused widespread damage in East Nusa Tenggara province.

In a later video statement, Berton said medical teams reported that most of the 94 indirect fatalities were elderly residents who died from complications related to pre-existing chronic illnesses such as strokes and diabetes.

The Jakarta Post reported that the numbers have sparked calls from civil society groups, health advocates and disaster risk experts for an independent review of how post-quake shelters were planned and managed, including the adequacy of medical services, water and sanitation, and protection for vulnerable evacuees.

Separate coverage by regional outlet Gutzy Asia noted that survivors in some camps complained of uneven aid distribution and shortages, more than a month after the mainshock, while tens of thousands of people remained displaced. The outlet reported that BNPB has not publicly provided a detailed breakdown of the causes of the 94 indirect deaths or their distribution across evacuation centres.

BNPB’s updated figures also point to the broader scale of displacement. By late August, the agency reported more than 179,000 people forced from their homes and living in tents or temporary shelters across Flores, amid thousands of aftershocks and continuing concerns about damaged structures.

Analysts quoted in national media have linked the Flores disaster to longer-running questions about Indonesia’s disaster preparedness and budgets, arguing that high mortality in shelters underscores how emergency housing, health care and basic services can be as critical to survival as immediate rescue operations.

Advocates are now calling on the government to release more detailed data on shelter conditions and indirect deaths, strengthen health support for displaced people, and ensure that temporary housing plans in Flores are designed to protect elderly residents and others with chronic illnesses in future emergencies.

Sources

• The Jakarta Post
• Gutzy Asia