INDONESIA DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY UNTIL 28 AUGUST

JAKARTA, AUGUST 16 /SRNA/ – The Indonesian Government has declared a state of emergency until August 28 following a powerful earthquake that struck the eastern island of Flores, killing at least 51 people, state media reported.

The state of emergency was declared to simplify disaster response procedures and speed up the distribution of aid in the affected areas.

Search and rescue operations are continuing, with teams searching collapsed structures for survivors.

Local authorities confirmed that nearly 6,000 residents had taken shelter in temporary evacuation centres in the areas of Sikka, Manggarai, Nagekeo, Bima and Selayar.

Officials said the earthquake destroyed 914 homes and damaged 93 educational facilities, 36 health centers and 38 government offices, complicating the delivery of aid across the remote archipelago.