Worried About Material Damage, Earthquake Victims In Kajai Pasaman Barat Demolished Houses Independently

Earthquake victims whose houses were damaged in Kajai, Talamau District, West Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra, began to collapse their houses (DOK ANTARA)

PASAMAN - Residents of Kajai, Talamau Sub-district, West Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra, have started tearing down houses damaged by the earthquake on their own. This activity is carried out so that the remaining material does not collapse and hit residents during aftershocks.

"We started tearing down our house with makeshift tools because we were afraid that the cracked bricks would hit us because the earthquake would keep repeating itself," said homeowner Afnan (45), quoted from Antara, Tuesday, March 15.

The house measuring 8x6 meters is no longer suitable for habitation because the walls are cracked and damaged. Some of the walls are broken. "Instead of endangering us and the children, we destroy it independently using makeshift tools," he said.

He targets this week his house has collapsed and the walls will be replaced with plywood as temporary housing.

"We will outsmart how we just tore down the walls while the roof is left so that the walls can be installed with plywood while waiting for help from the government," he said.

To sleep temporarily, he and his family stayed in a tent near their house.

"How else, sir? We are sleeping in tents for a while. The government has also recorded our house. Hopefully help will come quickly to repair our house," he hoped.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Highways Division of the West Pasaman Public Works and Spatial Planning Department, Darmawan, when confirmed, said the team was discussing how to technically help people tear down their buildings.

"We are still waiting for the results of the joint team meeting regarding this issue. Hopefully it will be done as soon as possible," he said.

From the latest data, 13 people died from the impact of the earthquake in West Pasaman. 4,038 residential units were damaged, with details of 1,786 lightly damaged, 916 moderately damaged and 1,336 heavily damaged.

75 educational facilities were damaged, 15 health facilities, 40 worship facilities, 26 infrastructure units and 42 government facilities.