Gov't ensures aid for North Maluku, North Sulawesi quake victims

 The Social Affairs Ministry has ensured it is ready to distribute aid to earthquake victims in North Maluku and North Sulawesi, with assistance based on the needs identified by the team on the ground.

"Our team is already on the ground and coordinating with local social affairs offices. Aid will be provided based on identified needs," Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said 

He explained that his side is still awaiting reports from regional governments conducting data collection, and therefore cannot yet provide an estimate of total assistance or overall impact.

However, coordination efforts continue intensively, including meetings held since morning to ensure a quick and on-target response.

Several personnel from the Social Affairs Ministry’s Disaster Preparedness Cadets (Tagana) have been deployed earlier to assist emergency handling alongside the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and volunteers from various regions.

"We will provide support as quickly as possible in accordance with conditions on the ground," he said.

Earlier, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the southwest of Batang Dua Island, Ternate, North Maluku, with strong tremors felt in several areas, including Ternate, Manado, and Gorontalo, reaching up to IV on the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded tsunami waves in several coastal areas, including West Halmahera at 0.30 meters, Bitung at 0.20 meters, and North Minahasa at 0.75 meters.

Meanwhile, the BNPB’s Disaster Operations Control Center reported that as of Thursday afternoon, one person had died in Manado, one person was slightly injured, and 16 families were affected in Minahasa District.

Infrastructure damage includes five government office buildings, one hotel, and one public facility in Manado.

In Minahasa District, two hospitals were heavily damaged, more than 10 houses were affected, one government office was damaged, and one public facility was impacted.

In Ternate City, one church building and two houses were reported damaged by the earthquake.