Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works has deployed teams to inspect infrastructure conditions following a powerful earthquake that struck waters off Bitung, North Sulawesi and North Maluku on Thursday morning.
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said early monitoring found roads and bridges in North Minahasa and Bitung largely unaffected and remaining in safe condition for public use.
"For North Minahasa and Bitung, roads and bridges are still safe for now,” Hanggodo told reporters during a press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.
However, the ministry’s office in North Maluku sustained damage, with shattered glass reported across the building, forcing staff to work from home while awaiting guidance from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).
The ministry also recorded disruptions on several road sections in Gorontalo due to landslides triggered by the quake. Hanggodo confirmed that teams are working to clear these essential routes.
“In Gorontalo, several road sections have been affected, with some landslides reported,” he said.
The ministry is coordinating with BMKG, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and BPBD to accelerate the response.
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Hanggodo added that emergency measures are being prepared in case of wider infrastructure damage, involving coordination with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), BPBD, and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri).
The government's initial priorities include ensuring logistics flows and public mobility remain uninterrupted, which may involve installing temporary bridges if technical assessments deem them necessary.
Permanent repairs will follow once field conditions stabilize and full technical assessments are completed. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake was felt as far as Gorontalo, triggering widespread panic among residents.
The quake, which lasted about one minute, prompted people to flee their homes as strong shaking was reported across several areas.
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Translator: Aria, Kenzu
Editor: Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
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