State-owned buildings among quake wreckage

State-owned buildings among quake wreckage

JAKARTA (JP): The earthquake and its aftershocks in Bengkulu
have ruined 19 out of 69 state buildings, the Ministry of
Settlement and Territorial Development announced on Tuesday.

A press statement released by the ministry said that the
structures included the provincial legislative building, the
Garuda Mas Provincial Military Command headquarters, the
province's Ministry of Health office and the M. Yunus state
hospital.

The Bengkulu provincial public works office also said the
local grand mosque was among buildings seriously damaged in the
disaster.

The office added that some 16,000 hectares of rice fields are
facing drought as the quake also affected irrigation facilities
in the province. Around Rp 12 billion is needed to repair the
irrigation system, Antara quoted the office as stating.

Road and bridge reconstruction will cost the province at least
Rp 18.7 billion and another Rp 2.7 billion is needed to repair
housing, resettlement and water systems, the office report said.

An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale shook the
Sumatra province on June 4, leaving at least 90 killed and
hundreds of others injured. No less than 1,827 aftershocks have
aroused fear among residents and caused more damages.

But an official of the province's Meteorology and Geophysics
office, M. Riadi, said on Monday the flurry of aftershocks would
completely stop 25 days after the initial quake.

"I can say that within 25 days there will be no more tremors.
However anything can happen because earthquake is an
unpredictable phenomenon," Riadi said after briefing Minister of
Transportation Agum Gumelar during a visit to the province.

"Previously there were at least eight aftershocks per hour,
but now it has dropped to three."

On Monday morning, people rushed out of their tents and homes
in panic following two aftershocks measuring between 4.5 and six
on the Richter scale.

The first tremor occurred at 5:17 a.m., while the second
erupted 11 minutes later. Their epicenter was located about 299
kilometers southwest of Bengkulu, below the Indian Ocean.

Sports officials, meanwhile, expressed fear that the natural
disaster would play havoc on the performance of the province's
athletes who will take part in the 15th National Games (PON) in
Surabaya next week.

An executive of the provincial sports council, Iskandar Ramis,
said the athletes' training center had been destroyed and many of
his athletes lost their homes.

"They also cannot rest at night, because many of them have to
sleep under tents," Iskandar complained, as quoted by Antara.

Exports from the province will probably return to normal
within two months, as Baai port was also heavily damaged.

Head of Baai Port, Syarif Usman, said exports of coal, coffee
and rubber were seriously affected because big ships could not
berth.

The government needs at least Rp 8 billion (about
US$920,000) to repair it. The repairs will take about two months.

"We hope the construction will start soon," said Syarif. (prb)