NTT Governor: Go Home, Make Sure Buildings Are Safe And Can Be Occupied

The panic of residents who fled to higher places when there was a tsunami early warning in Maumere City, NTT (Photo via Antara/Siska)

JAKARTA - The Governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Viktor Laiskodat, has not received any reports of damage or casualties due to the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit a number of areas on the islands of Flores and Sumba.

"We have coordinated with the regents who were hit by the earthquake to anticipate the occurrence of this earthquake," said Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat in Kupang, Tuesday, December 14.

Viktor hopes that residents in the NTT Province will remain calm and ask residents who had fled to return to their homes because according to the notification from the BMKG there is no longer a potential for a tsunami.

"When you return home, you must ensure that the building you live in is safe and can still be occupied so that you can minimize the loss of life if there is a potential for aftershocks," he said.

He said, if an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 still occurs, people in the area should evacuate to the designated gathering points.

"Although the BMKG has declared the potential for a tsunami to be over, people on the islands of Flores, Lembata and Sumba must remain vigilant, in case of aftershocks to secure themselves to a safe gathering point location," he said.