A Number Of Buildings In Blitar Damaged By Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake

Damage from the Blitar earthquake (ANTARA)

BLITAR - A number of buildings in Blitar Regency, East Java, were damaged by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2.

One of the damaged locations is Wates Health Center, Blitar Regency. Some of the walls were cracked and the ceiling also fell.

"Puskesmas Wates, because of its location is the southernmost and close to the epicenter. In addition, it is also close to the beach. If the damage we enter the moderate category," said Head of Health Services Blitar District Health Office dr Christine Indrawati quoted Antara, Friday, May 21.

He revealed that the damaged parts include the emergency unit (ER) and the hospital room in the puskesmas. In the ER room, the ceiling on the edge of the wall fell out. In addition, there are fractures.

According to Christine, the repair at the puskesmas has actually been proposed budget. When an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck on Saturday, April 10, the building was also damaged. However, it has not been repaired, until an earthquake occurred on Friday, May 21, night with a magnitude of 6.2.

"In Wates the land moves. Wates was in the living room of an old building and had been cracked during the earthquake. It's getting wider," Christine said.

At the time of the incident at the puskesmas there were no patients, so no one was injured. The plan, while waiting for repairs to the public examination room will still be functioned to serve the community, while the emergency room and inpatient room await repairs.

Christine is also still waiting for instructions from the Head of Blitar District Health Office who directly reviewed the location of the damage in Wates Health Center with the Regent, because for Friday there is also a COVID-19 vaccination schedule in the puskesmas.

"It is up to him (Kadinkes Kabupaten Blitar and The Regent of Blitar) for tomorrow. It's a vaccination but it's in the yard," he said.

In addition to the puskesmas, some houses were also reported to have been damaged. Some of the damage was buildings in Selopuro Subdistrict, Wonotirto to Panggungrejo, Blitar Regency. However, until now BPBD Blitar still records the damage.

"We first check the truth of the info," said the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Blitar Achmad Cholik.

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook the southeastern region of Blitar Regency on Friday at around 7:09 p.m.

According to the information of the Bureau of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) the epicenter of the earthquake was at 8.63 South Latitude, 112.34 East Longitude, as far as 57 kilometers Southeast of Blitar Regency with a depth of 110 kilometers.