More Than 2,500 Houses Damaged in Banten Earthquake Last Week

Banten Province Regency Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) reported 2,531 houses and dozens of public facilities were damaged in an earthquake that hit Banten last week.

As of Monday, January 17, at 9.00 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB), 51 schools, 16 community health facilities, 20 places of worship, four government offices, and three business locations were reported to have destroyed in the 6.6 magnitude earthquake on Friday.

Head of the Office Nana Suryana said the disaster impacted 225 villages in 55 subdistricts in Pandeglang, Lebak, Serang, and Tangerang regencies. However, he also confirmed that as per latest report, all residents have left shelters.

On Friday, Banten was struck with a 6.6 magnitude earthquake at 4.15 p.m. It was initially reported at 6.7 magnitude, but the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) revised the report.

The epicenter was at 52 km southwest of Sumur subdistrict in Banten and occurred at a depth of 10 km, but tremors were also felt in nearby cities, including Jakarta, Bekasi, Depok, and Bandung.

Pandeglang regency experienced the worst impacts of the disaster with 2,244 houses, 43 schools, 16 community health facilities, 14 places of worship, three government offices, and three business locations damaged across 163 villages.

Recently, the provincial government is still working to collect information on the impacts of the earthquake.