Mamuju, W Sulawesi (ANTARA) – The Mamuju district government’s assessment team has commenced its work on validating data on the local residents’ houses damaged by a strong earthquake that hit early this year.

“The assessment team members will work for 20 days to complete the process of validating data on all affected houses to provide more accurate data,” Mamuju District Head Sutinah Suhardi Duka remarked.

The assessment team has 100 personnel recruited from various related agencies, including the local police and military, Duka notified local journalists here, Tuesday.

The team is expected to function in a professional manner in validating data on the incurred damage, so that eligible residents can soon receive assistance funds from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to repair or rebuild their damaged houses, according to the district head.

The agency has offered Rp209 billion for disbursal to the owners of 9,179 damaged houses, Duka remarked.

The districts of Mamuju and Majene were rattled by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, ensued by several aftershocks, on January 15, 2021.

The catastrophe claimed over 100 lives and acutely impacted several residents in sub-districts, such as Mamuju, Tapalang, Tapalang Barat, Simboro Kepulauan, Kalukku, and Bonehau.

Earthquakes regularly hit various parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

Source: Antara News