Residents Who Refugees On Jalan Trans Yamdena Tanimbar Due To Earthquakes Began To Return To Their Homes

The condition of residents of Ilgei Village, Tansel District, Tanimbar Islands Regency, Tuesday (10/1/2023) afternoon. (ANTARA/HO-Resident)

MALUKU - Hundreds of residents of Tanimbar Islands Regency (KKT) who were affected by the 7.9 magnitude earthquake have returned to their respective homes. Residents previously traveled along Prof. Dr. Boediono (Trans Yamdena Street) Tanimbar Islands. “ No more displaced residents, all have returned to their homes. It's just that it's still traumatized and alert, said one Tanimbar resident, Simon, via WhatsApp messages received in Ambon, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, January 11. When he returned home, he admitted that he was shocked by the condition of the house, where the walls and other parts were cracked until they were damaged, and there were even residents' houses whose walls had broken. He said that the situation had gradually improved. Nevertheless, people are still not doing their activities normally. “ Pascagempa, people are panicked and still traumatized. Seen on the streets are still quiet. PBM (Learning and Teaching Processes) activities in schools are quiet, offices are the same,” he said. He recounted that the shock of the first earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 was felt for almost two minutes, while when the aftershock was not felt because residents were busy running to high ground. "The condition last night was that people ran to find heights and some did not believe it, so they just stayed at home," he said. Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of the Tanimbar Islands, Bruno Laiyan, stated that the temporary data was recorded that 96 buildings were damaged. "There were 79 buildings that were lightly damaged, five were moderately damaged, eight buildings were heavily damaged," he said. He detailed that in Wuarlabobar District, especially Kalarat Village, one house was lightly damaged, while in Rummus Village seven houses were lightly damaged, three were heavily damaged, and one was injured. In Karmomolin District, seven houses in Alumsi Tanimrian Village were lightly damaged and in Alusi Batjas Village 42 houses were slightly damaged, in Selaruh District, precisely in Adaut Village one house was slightly damaged and two houses were moderately damaged, and the 80 meters SMA Negeri 5 Adaut concrete fence collapsed. In South Tanimbar District, the disaster-affected area in Saumlaki Village with one house was heavily damaged and two others moderately damaged, one house was heavily damaged, four were lightly damaged. One house caught fire and one resident died from drowning. In the Gunung Nona Saumlaki area, one house was slightly damaged and Sifnana Village the concrete fence collapsed which is a public facility. In Ilgey Village, two houses were lightly damaged, four were moderately damaged, and two were heavily damaged in Wowonda Village, seven houses were slightly damaged, the regent's office was lightly damaged on the 3rd floor, the Mandrianak Field stands were lightly damaged, Saumlaki road pavement was moderately damaged, Beringin II Hotel, VVIP room facilities that the President had occupied were heavily damaged. According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 on Tuesday, at 02.47 WIT, the center is at sea at a depth of 131 km at coordinates 7.25 South Latitude and 130.18 East Longitude, about 148 km northwest of West Southeast Maluku. The earthquake was felt on a scale of V MMI in Saumlaki City; IV MMI in Dobo and Tiakur; III-IV MMI in Alor, Waingapu, Waijelu, Lembata, Sorong, and Kaimana; II-III in Kairatu, Merauke, Nabire, Tanah Merah, Wamena, Bakunase, Kolhua, Sabu, Rote, Ende, South Amarasi, and Kupang City; and II MMI in Ambon and Piru (West Seram Regency). On the MMI II scale, vibrations were felt by several people and caused light objects that were hung to sway and on the MMI scale the vibrations felt real in the house, felt as if a truck had passed. The tremors on the MMI IV scale during the day were felt by many people inside the house and several people outside the house and caused pottery to break, windows/doors tightened, and walls rang. On the MMI V scale, vibrations are felt by almost all residents, make many people wake up, and cause pottery to burst, goods bounce, and large pillars and items sway.