The PVMBG Team Checks Areas Affected By The Garsela Sesar Earthquake In Garut

The Head of BPBD Garut Regency, Satria Budi, checked the houses of residents affected by the earthquake in Pasirwangi District, Garut Regency, West Java (2/2/2023). (ANTARA/Feri Purnama)

The team from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) conducted an examination of the condition of the area affected by the earthquake of the Garsela fault activity in Samarang and Pasirwangi sub-districts, Garut Regency, West Java. Examination to determine the level of earthquake vulnerability in the area. "Ada dari PVMBG, sekarang sedang ke lapangan untuk memeriksa terkait kondisi tanah di sana," kata Kepala Pelaksana Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) Kabupaten Garut Satria Budi di Garut, Antara, Jumat, 3 Januari. He said the team from PVMBG would examine areas that caused damage due to the 4.3 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Wednesday, February 1 evening. PVMBG officers, he said, conducted a study of the soil structure in two sub-districts, namely Pasirwangi and Samarang sub-districts, which were known to many residents' houses were damaged. "PVMBG is looking at what kind of soil structure it is, checking the condition of the soil there is movement, or what," he said. He conveyed that a team from PVMBG would conduct research in areas affected by the earthquake for two days according to their assignment letter starting Friday to Saturday (4/2). He hopes that the presence of a team from PVMBG can be known the condition of the area, to further make preparations to avoid the danger of an earthquake. "This is an effort to mitigate disasters, so we know what conditions there are," he said. He revealed the results of field inspections by Garut BPBD that most residents' houses were damaged because they did not install iron to build wall walls. The damaged building, he said, was an old house or built around the 1970s and 1980s which at that time did not wear iron for the pillars of his house. "Now the public has begun to realize that the damaged house was built in the 70s without iron, now if it is built again it will use iron," he said. Temporary reports of the earthquake disaster have damaged 495 houses, consisting of 450 houses in Pasirwangi District and 45 houses in Samarang District. In addition to houses, eight school buildings were damaged. The disaster only caused material losses and there were no casualties.