Tito inspects Maumere port after quake, while services remain operating

Labuan Bajo — Indonesia’s interior minister inspected Laurentius Say Port in Maumere, Sikka regency, after an earthquake damaged parts of the port complex, while officials said passenger services were still operating.

Muhammad Tito Karnavian visited the port on Aug. 19, 2026, according to local reports, and reviewed the condition of facilities with officials from the district government and the transport sector. The reports said the inspection came after a strong quake that killed at least three people in the area and damaged buildings at the port.

Officials said embarkation and disembarkation services had returned to normal even though some structures were damaged. Tito was quoted as saying port operations could keep running because the digital service system had a backup mechanism, allowing services to be shifted if internet access failed.

Reports from separate outlets said the earthquake caused damage to the terminal and parts of the dock at Laurentius Say Port. One report also said the main port structures would be assessed by the Public Works Ministry once conditions were stable, to determine whether repairs or rebuilding would be needed.

Tito also told local officials that support was being coordinated for basic needs such as food, water, electricity and communications, according to the reports. The same coverage said he warned that aftershocks could continue for two to three weeks and urged authorities not to force residents back into damaged homes while fear and trauma remained.

The earthquake was widely reported as a magnitude 7.7 event off Flores Island on Aug. 15, 2026, with early casualty figures later revised upward by disaster authorities. At least two separate reports identified Maumere as one of the hardest-hit areas and said rescue crews found bodies and injuries there soon after the quake.

The inspection was reported five days after the quake, and the port continued handling passengers during the recovery period. Local and international coverage agreed that the port remained in service despite visible damage, but no report in this search provided a full engineering assessment of the damaged structures.

Sources

• Detik
• Liputan6
• Tempo
• The Jakarta Post
• India Today
• CNBC