The ministry's Deputy for Coordination on Disaster and Social Conflict Mitigation, Lilik Kurniawan, said his office would continue to work closely with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to ensure residents, affected by the disaster, receive adequate assistance.
"It is crucial to take quick, targeted, and coordinated emergency response measures in Poso," he remarked, as cited from a statement released in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He delivered the statement during an online coordination meeting on emergency response to the 5.8-magnitude Poso earthquake, which brought together officials from the BNPB as well as the Central Sulawesi and Poso governments.
"Through synergy among the central and regional governments and all elements of society, we are hopefully able to handle the emergency in Poso in a quick, targeted, and coordinated manner," Kurniawan affirmed.
The meeting outlined several immediate steps, including distributing logistics from the BNPB, accelerating the collection of data on the quake’s impact by local authorities, and deploying BNPB seismologists to examine rumbling sounds reported by residents.
A joint team from the PMK Ministry and BNPB departed for Poso on Monday (August 18) and is expected to arrive on Tuesday. BNPB Head Suharyanto is part of the team.
The earthquake, initially reported at magnitude 6.0, struck Poso at 6:36 a.m. local time, marking the second such incident in the past month. The quake was followed by at least 10 aftershocks.
Authorities reported that the disaster claimed one life, left 13 people seriously injured, and 17 others with minor injuries. Dozens of structures, including schools and houses of worship, sustained damage.
Emergency responses include erecting tents at a local hospital and distributing food to affected areas.
Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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