RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck two provinces namely North Sulawesi, including Manado City, Bitung City, and Minahasa Regency, as well as North Maluku, including Ternate City, on Thursday morning, April 2, 2026. The Head of the National Disaster Management Agency or BNPB, Suharyanto and his team are scheduled to depart on Friday April 3, 2026, to lead the response and observe the condition of the community firsthand.

“Today, the Head of BNPB will depart for North Sulawesi. Meanwhile, the Third Deputy for Emergency Response, Major General Budi Irawan, will head to North Maluku,” Suharyanto explained.

According to him, on Thursday in Jakarta, the government will bring basic assistance, including food, shelters, clothing, and clean water equipment. Although there have been no reports of evacuations, these have been prepared as a precaution. In addition, the government has allocated emergency funds if urgent needs arise on the ground.

“There have been no reports of evacuees, but of course we are bringing food. Then there are shelters if there are evacuees. There are clothes, and there is also clean water. We will collect data but we also have a budget so that if there are any urgent matters on the ground, we can assist immediately," he said.

This response involves close collaboration between various agencies, including the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), which is tasked with monitoring potential aftershocks, and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), which will clear the area.

Suharyanto stated, “The head of the BMKG is still monitoring the ongoing impacts, and the head of Basarnas will soon follow. This means we are fully committed to assisting the victims of the disaster in North Maluku and North Sulawesi provinces.”

The Head of Disaster Agency stated that to date, there has been one confirmed death in Manado City, one person with minor injuries in Minahasa Regency, and 16 families affected in the same regency. Material damage also occurred in several locations, from government offices to churches.