The incident is a lesson for us to share our knowledge and readiness on disaster mitigation...Jakarta (ANTARA) - The 6.6-magnitude (M) earthquake that rattled Banten province on January 14, 2022, can serve as a lesson for disaster mitigation preparedness, an official from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has said.
The disaster did not cause any casualties, deputy for geophysics at BMKG, Suko Prayitno Adi, noted adding, still, there were a lot of material losses.
"The incident is a lesson for us to share our knowledge and readiness on disaster mitigation so that we can provide the best solution," he said during a webinar on the Banten earthquake, which was accessed from here on Friday.
By sharing the lessons, it is hoped that the fear of the people living in earthquake-prone areas in southern Java regions can be alleviated, he added.
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In addition, the community can be better prepared to face disasters so that there are no casualties, he said.
Studies on the Banten earthquake are expected to provide recommendations for improving the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS) and strengthening the synergy between BMKG and other related institutions and agencies, Adi informed.
The earthquake was centered at 7.21 degrees latitude and 105.05 degrees east longitude.
Although there were no fatalities, two people were reported to have suffered serious injuries and eight others were slightly injured in the quake, Adi said.
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According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), 3,078 houses were damaged in Lebak, Pandeglang, Serang, Tangerang, Sukabumi, and Bogor districts in the quake.
In addition, the disaster damaged 51 school buildings, 17 health facilities, 8 government offices, 3 kiosks, and 21 worship places.
Based on a survey conducted by the agency, the construction quality of most of the buildings affected by the quake was below standard, officials said.
Furthermore, the agency found that two regions that suffered heavy damage in the disaster, Sumur sub-district and Panimbang sub-district in Pandeglang district, had soft soil, they added.
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Translator: Devi Ramadhan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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