Indonesia to Investigate Reported Shelter Deaths on Flores
The Indonesian government will examine reports of earthquake survivors dying in evacuation shelters on Flores. Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said regional coordination would precede conclusions about the reported deaths.
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Flores — The Indonesian government will investigate reports that earthquake survivors died in evacuation shelters after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara on Aug. 15, according to The Jakarta Post. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported that 48 people were killed directly by the disaster.
The investigation concerns deaths recorded after the earthquake rather than fatalities caused by the initial shock. Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said he was coordinating with regional leaders before drawing conclusions about the reported deaths. He said inadequate treatment or handling would be included in the government’s evaluation.
Why the shelter deaths matter to foreign readers in Indonesia
The disaster’s effects continued beyond the earthquake itself. For foreign residents and visitors, the immediate significance is that parts of Flores remained affected by an active humanitarian emergency weeks after the Aug. 15 earthquake, with people still living in temporary shelters.
The reported shelter deaths have prompted scrutiny of how survivors were treated after the earthquake. The Jakarta Post reported that the Home Ministry was examining the deaths while a lawsuit was being planned over the government’s handling of the disaster. The article also said the government had not yet reached a conclusion and that coordination with provincial and district authorities was continuing.
The earthquake struck Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara, an Indonesian province that includes the affected regencies. Official records listed 48 direct disaster deaths, while the later shelter deaths formed the subject of the investigation. The government’s review is intended to establish what happened to survivors who died after reaching evacuation shelters and whether shortcomings in care or disaster management contributed to those deaths.
The investigation’s next steps will depend on the Home Ministry’s coordination with regional heads and its evaluation of the reported deaths. The source report does not state a completion date or a final finding.
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