Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The government has allocated Rp39.38 billion in funds to reconstruct 179 school buildings in West Sumatra destroyed by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake on Sept 30, 2009.

The funds taken from the 2010 state budget were earmarked for reconstruction of severely-damaged school buildings, Director General of Elementary Education at the National Education Ministry Suyanto said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the funds needed to repair lightly-damaged school buildings originated from the respective municipal and district governments, he said.

The reconstruction of all heavily-damaged school buildings had yet to be completed and a shortage of funds would be covered by the 2011 state budget, he said.

Data from the ministry show the quake left 179 school buildings heavily damaged. Of the total, 42 were located in Padang municipality, 30 in Pariaman municipality, 52 in Padang Pariaman district, 15 in Agam district, and 40 in Pesisir Selatan district.

The reconstruction of school buildings in Padang has been projected to cost Rp11.22 billion, Pariaman Rp7.22 billion, Padang Pariaman Rp12.83 billion, Agam Rp3.9 billion, and Pesisir Selatan Rp4.69 billion.

The quake left at least 1,000 people dead, 1,214 people heavily injured and 1,688 others lightly injured.

The temblor also caused serious damage to 135,448 houses and light damage to 78,604 others.

Also damaged were 51 health facilities, 1,001 houses of worship, 21 bridges, 178 roads and 130 irrigation infrastructures.

West Sumatra sits on one of the world`s most active faultlines along the "ring of fire", where the Indo-Australia plate and the Eurasia tectonic plate grind together to cause frequent tremors and, occasionally, large earthquakes.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011