Nabire Residents Isolated After The M 6.6 Earthquake, Telkom Deploys Network Repair Team

Distribution of earthquake data that occurred in Nabire City, Central Papua. BETWEEN/HO-BMKG

NABIRE - PT Telkom Indonesia is trying to restore the telecommunications network in Nabire, Central Papua, which experienced total disruption due to an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 on Friday morning.

Head of Telkom Nabire Suhendar said the communication network was cut off due to damage to cable lines at several points, namely Nabire Rasiei, Serui Botawa, and the Timika 'Tigi land route which is about 80 kilometers from Mimika.

All Telkomsel, IndiHome, voice, and SMS internet services have been cut off. Currently, residents can only use satellite-based services to stay connected," said Suhendar when contacted from Manokwari, Antara, Friday, September 19.

Telkom is currently prioritizing the improvement of the Timika 'Tigi route to accelerate the normalization of services in Nabire. "For my estimation, I still can't get the exact duration because it's in the red zone," he said.

General Manager of Telkom Witel West Papua Eric M. Tobing added that the 23-kilometer northwest of Nabire earthquake caused TelkomGroup services in Nabire, Botawa, and Enarotali to be disrupted. The Telecommunications team of East Palapa (PTT) has been deployed to accelerate the connection of the Kigamani 'Timika' route.

The challenge of network repair, said Eric, is the difficult natural conditions caused by landslides on the land fiber optic cable (FO) line.

"We apologize for the inconvenience felt by our customers, ask for prayers and support for the smooth recovery process," said TelkomGroup's official statement, Friday morning.

Gempa magnitudo 6,6 terjadi Jumat sekitar pukul 03.19 WIT dengan pusat gempa 29 kilometer barat laut Nabire pada kedalaman 24 kilometer. BMKG mencatat sedikitnya 17 gempa susulan dengan magnitudo antara 2,1 hingga 4,0 hingga pukul 04.05 WIT.

Selain jaringan terputus, sejumlah fasilitas publik juga mengalami kerusakan ringan hingga sedang, di antaranya Bandara Douw Aturure, Kantor Bupati Nabire, RSUD Nabire, hingga Jembatan Siriwini yang putus. BMKG dan Badan Geologi mengimbau masyarakat memeriksa bangunan mereka serta menghindari lereng curam selama curah hujan tinggi.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 occurred Friday at around 03.19 WIT with an epicenter of 29 kilometers northwest of Nabire at a depth of 24 kilometers. BMKG recorded at least 17 aftershocks with a magnitude of between 2.1 and 4.0 until 04.05 WIT.

In addition to the disconnected network, a number of public facilities also suffered minor to moderate damage, including Douwaturure Airport, Nabire Regent's Office, Nabire Hospital, to the broken Siriwini Bridge. BMKG and the Geological Agency appealed to the public to check their buildings and avoid steep slopes during high rainfall.