BNPB Says Basic Services in East Nusa Tenggara Gradually Recover after Earthquake

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) says infrastructure in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is gradually recovering. Health and education services are also returning to normal following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the province on 15 August.

BNPB Head, Suharyanto said the recovery was the result of the government’s rapid response during the 24-day emergency response period. He said basic services in the affected areas, including electricity, communications, fuel, clean water, transportation, healthcare, and education, have resumed standard operations.

"Basic public needs, including electricity, communications, fuel, clean water, transportation, healthcare, and education, are generally functioning again," Suharyanto said during a limited meeting on natural disaster management developments on Monday, 7 September 2026.

In the health sector, all outpatient clinic services at Komodo Regional General Hospital have resumed normal operations. Community health centers have also resumed regular services with the support of emergency tents, while field hospitals remain operational to meet public health needs.

"The Navy’s hospital ships have returned to their respective homeports because healthcare services can now be handled through medical facilities on land," he explained.

In the education sector, Suharyanto said teaching and learning activities have also resumed, supported by emergency tents for schools that suffered severe damage. Students and teachers are also receiving psychosocial support and trauma-healing services to help them recover from the psychological impacts of the disaster.

In terms of basic infrastructure, electricity networks in the Eastern Flores and Western Flores service areas have fully recovered. A total of 3,478 distribution substations are back in operation, restoring electricity services to around 566,797 customers. Telecommunications services have fully restored, with 100 percent of affected base transceiver stations (BTS) reconnected and fixed broadband services restored for 17,062 IndiHome customers.

Despite the gradual recovery in NTT, BNPB continues to assist district and municipal governments with post-disaster response and recovery efforts. Some central government personnel from ministries and agencies, as well as the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri), remain deployed in affected areas to support the next stages of recovery.