29-4-2024 (JAKARTA) In the wake of a powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Garut Regency, West Java, the ripple effects have been felt across the nearby Bandung Barat Regency, where a total of 12 homes have been impacted by the tremors. The West Bandung Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has reported varying degrees of damage, ranging from minor cracks in walls to severe structural collapse.
“As of yesterday, we recorded 12 houses spread across nine locations that were affected by the Garut earthquake,” said Meidi, the acting head of the West Bandung BPBD, in a phone conversation on Monday.
The affected homes are dispersed throughout the regency, with three in Cisarua District, one in Cipatat District, two in Gununghalu District, one in Batujajar District, one in Lembang District, and four in Rongga District. “Reports are still coming in,” Meidi cautioned. “We have deployed personnel to conduct assessments, so it’s possible that the number of impacted homes could exceed 12.”
One of the hardest-hit residences belongs to Agus Sumarna (50), a resident of Kampung Cipari RT 05 RW 06, Jambudipa Village, Cisarua District. Nearly half of his home collapsed in the wake of the powerful tremors that struck on Saturday night.
“The kitchen and bathroom areas were hit,” Sumarna recounted. “All the furniture and belongings were crushed under the rubble of the collapsed walls.”
Miraculously, no lives were lost in the incident, as Sumarna and his family managed to evacuate before their home crumbled. “Thank God, there were no casualties,” he said. “My wife, two children, and I managed to get out in time. It’s just material losses.”
