Shelter deaths after NTT quake spur calls for disaster response probe

Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) — Indonesia’s disaster agency has confirmed that 94 people displaced by last month’s powerful earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara died while staying in evacuation shelters, pushing the overall death toll to 142 and prompting renewed calls for an independent review of the response.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said the deaths were recorded in the month after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck near Flores Island on Aug. 15, triggering brief tsunami alerts and damaging homes and infrastructure across the province, including parts of Flores and nearby islands. According to BNPB’s acting spokesperson Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, 48 people were killed directly by the quake and its immediate impacts, while 94 died later in evacuation shelters.

In a subsequent video statement, Berton said medical teams had found that most of the 94 shelter deaths involved older residents with pre-existing chronic illnesses such as strokes and diabetes. Rights advocates and legislators, however, argue that the scale of deaths in temporary shelters raises broader questions about conditions and services provided during the emergency.

High shelter death toll raises concerns

BNPB’s figures mean that more than half of the recorded casualties from the NTT quake died after they had reached evacuation sites, almost twice the number killed directly by the disaster. Amnesty International Indonesia said in a statement that 94 people had died in evacuation locations compared with 48 deaths caused by the quake itself, describing the case as evidence of a "crisis of state capacity" in managing disasters.

The organisation highlighted reports of limited facilities and sparse urgent medical services in some shelters, with extreme daytime heat and cold nights compounding risks for vulnerable groups. Independent reporting has also documented gaps in aid, including uneven distribution of food, clean water and basic supplies more than a month after the quake.

BNPB has classified the 94 shelter deaths as indirect casualties linked to the earthquake but has not publicly provided a detailed breakdown by evacuation site. The agency has urged the public to understand that many of the victims were already dealing with serious health conditions before the disaster.

Calls for audit and independent investigation

The high number of deaths in evacuation shelters has sparked demands from both lawmakers and civil society groups for deeper scrutiny of the government’s handling of the crisis. Members of the House of Representatives’ Commission IX, which oversees health and labour, have called for an audit of shelter conditions and health services for quake survivors.

Commission leaders said the data showed more people died in shelters than from the quake itself and argued that authorities needed to verify conditions in the field and strengthen medical support.

Amnesty International Indonesia has urged authorities to launch an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into the shelter deaths to determine whether there was state negligence in protecting the rights of quake victims in NTT. The group said such an investigation should examine access to health care, adequate housing, water and sanitation, particularly for older people and those with chronic illnesses.

Lawmakers have also pressed for improved coordination among BNPB, the Health Ministry, local governments and other agencies to address problems identified in evacuation sites and prevent further casualties during the ongoing recovery. As of mid-September, tens of thousands of residents remained displaced by the quake and its aftershocks, with many staying in temporary shelters while repairs and reconstruction continued.

Sources

• The Jakarta Post – "NTT earthquake death figures prompt calls for investigation"
• Amnesty International Indonesia – "Kasus NTT bukti krisis kapasitas negara tangani bencana"
• CNN Indonesia – "94 Warga Meninggal di Pengungsian Gempa NTT, DPR Desak Evaluasi Serius"
• VOI.id – "94 People Died in the Evacuation, Commission IX of the DPR Asked the Government to Audit the Handling of Earthquake Victims in NTT"
• Gutzy Asia – "94 die in Indonesian evacuation centres after Flores earthquake as aid gaps persist among survivors"