PM Wong expresses condolences to Indonesia earthquake victims

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has sent condolences to Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto following an earthquake that struck off the coast of Flores in eastern Indonesia on August 15. The 7.7-magnitude quake claimed over 50 lives, injured at least 135 individuals, and caused significant damage to hundreds of buildings. A subsequent earthquake of magnitude 6.1 hit off Indonesia's northern Sumatra on the same day, but it has not reported any casualties yet.

In a Facebook post on August 16, Mr. Wong expressed his deepest sorrow over the loss of lives and the devastation caused by the earthquakes. He conveyed the condolences and sympathies of the Singapore Government to the families of the victims and those affected by the tragedy. He added that their thoughts remained with the people of Indonesia during this difficult time, as well as with the authorities and emergency personnel tirelessly working on relief and recovery efforts.

The Indonesian authorities reported that 5,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to the earthquake, followed by nearly 1,000 aftershocks in the hours afterwards. Relief workers emphasized that survivors were urgently in need of aid, such as emergency tents, food, medicine, clean water, and electricity generators, as of August 16.