A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Banten Province on Friday evening, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) informed.

The epicenter of the quake which struck at 05.10 p.m. local time was located 71 kilometers southwest of Bayah, Banten, at a depth of 10 kilometers, the agency said.

The quake occurred nearly three weeks after a 6.6-magnitude quake rattled the province on January 14, 2022.

Although there were no fatalities, two people were reported to have suffered serious injuries and eight others were slightly injured in the January 14 quake, deputy for geophysics at BMKG, Suko Prayitno Adi, said.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the quake damaged 3,078 houses  in Lebak, Pandeglang, Serang, Tangerang, Sukabumi, and Bogor districts.

In addition, the disaster also 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.

Source: Antara News