2,663 houses damaged in June 2 quake

From Antara News, Minggu, 5 Juni 2016


Jakarta - The 6.5-magnitude earthquake which rocked the western coastal area of Sumatra on Thursday destroyed 2,663 houses and 193 class rooms in West Sumatra and Bengkulu provinces, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

Nearly 114 out of the 2,663 houses were severely damaged, 612 houses were moderately damaged and 1,909 houses suffered a light damage, Chief of the BNPB Information Center and Public Relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a press statement released on Saturday.

The earthquake also left an 80-year old man dead after he suffered a heart attack. Eighteen others suffered injuries in the calamity, he added.

"The man died when he felt the strong quake and then suffered cardiac arrest," he stated.

The 18 residents were injured after debris fell on them while they were trying to rush outdoors, he explained.

The June 2 earthquake hit hardest the Pesisir Selatan district, West Sumatra province, where 93 houses and 29 class rooms were severely damaged, 578 houses and 74 class rooms were moderately damaged and 1,801 houses suffered a light damage.

Some 100 residents who had fled their homes for fear of aftershocks shortly after the 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattled the area have returned home.

In Mukomuko district, Bengkulu province, the earthquake caused major damage to 20 houses, moderate damage to 31 houses and light damage to 97 houses.

Acting chief of the West Sumatra Provincial Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) Zulfiatno said on Friday the 6.5-magnitude earthquake which rocked the province inflicted material losses running into an estimated Rp15.2 trillion.

"The loss was mostly on account of the many buildings damaged in the quake," he pointed out.

The quake was centered at 2.29 degrees south latitude and 100.46 degrees east longitude at a depth of 79 kilometers.




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