Dili, September 7, 2026 (Media Democracia) – Civil Protection Authority (APC) advises the community not to panic regarding information about earthquake risk circulating in the media and on social media, and asks the public to only trust information from official and credible sources, because the time and date of an earthquake cannot yet be predicted.
According to the President of the Civil Protection Authority (APC), Jesuino dos Reis Matos Carvalho, who is responsible for disaster monitoring and prevention, he expressed appreciation to the media that continue to share information with the public, including information about earthquake situations that have already been published by meteorological and seismological monitoring sources.
The President emphasized that, on matters related to natural disasters, credible and official sources are extremely important to provide information to the community, so that the public can receive accurate information and avoid the spread of information that could cause panic.
“The risk is always there for all of us. The monitoring and prevention program will continue, and we will continue to give warnings to communities to take care of themselves and stay away from places considered to be at risk,” said the President of the Civil Protection Authority (APC), Jesuino dos Reis (04/09/2026).
He also informed that according to available information, Timor-Leste is located in a tectonic zone with seismic activity, because it is close to tectonic plates in the Indonesia region. This situation can cause Timor-Leste to feel tremors when there is seismic movement in nearby regions, but it does not mean that an earthquake will occur at a specific hour or day.
He further stated that even though there is scientific data and mapping of risk zones, current technology does not yet allow for precise detection of when an earthquake will occur at a specific hour, day, or date.
“Therefore, communities are asked not to panic when they hear unclear information or information without a source, but must first verify with the competent institutions before sharing it with others,” he said.
He also explained that the media have an important role in supporting prevention efforts by sharing information that is accurate, clear, and based on credible sources, so that communities can understand the situation and prepare themselves well.
The authorities reiterated that information about the possibility of an earthquake should not be interpreted as a prediction that an earthquake will happen now or on a specific day.
Thus, all communities are asked to remain calm, not to panic, and to follow information from official sources, while authorities and partners continue to monitor the situation and provide alerts when there is important information about disaster risk.
Reporting: Tomás Dos Santos
Photo: Tomás Dos Santos