BNPB asks residents in five coastal areas of Sulawesi to Kaltim to stay away from the beach after the M 7.7 earthquake

Illustration of flash floods in Muara Angke, North Jakarta (ANTARA)

PALU - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) issued a stern appeal for people in five coastal areas to immediately stay away from coastal areas and riverbanks in Sulawesi.

This anticipatory step was taken following a tectonic earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 that shook the Sulawesi Sea region on Monday, June 8 morning, at around 07.37 WITA.

The five coastal areas included in the warning radar include North Sulawesi (Sulut), Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi (Sulteng), North Maluku (Malut), and East Kalimantan (Kaltim).

Based on initial data, the epicenter was at a depth of 47 kilometers northwest of Karatung Island, North Sulawesi (Mindanao sector, Philippines), and was assessed as potentially triggering a tsunami wave.

"Regional governments at the provincial, district and city levels that are in a state of alert are instructed to immediately direct the public to evacuate in an orderly manner to higher places," said Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, quoted from ANTARA, Monday, June 8, 2026.

In addition to the areas with the Alert status, Abdul Muhari also reminded the local government and residents in the zone with the Warning status not to relax their readiness.

Activities around the waters are asked to be stopped temporarily to avoid unwanted things.

"People in the area are alert and can immediately stay away from coastal areas and river banks, and temporarily stop all activities in the waters," he said.

Although it had triggered concerns, the BNPB ensured that the actual situation and conditions on the ground were currently safe, calm, and under control.

The joint team from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in each region has also been deployed to coastal areas to monitor the post-earthquake impact periodically.

Until now, BNPB continues to strengthen integrated coordination of one command with various related agencies in the region, ranging from TNI elements, Polri, Basarnas, to local humanitarian and volunteer agencies.

Residents are asked to remain calm, focus on the safety of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities, and only trust official instructions from field officers.