Reg.9 authorities to rebuild houses destroyed by earthquake

The authorities in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) will assist in rebuilding two houses that were destroyed in the villages of Sawariwau and Katoonarib in Deep South Rupununi, as a result of the 5.7 magnitude earthquake, which shook several parts of Brazil and Guyana at the weekend.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in a statement on Tuesday said it continues to monitor the impact of the earthquake. In the meantime, Regional Executive Officer, Karl Singh informed the CDC that the region will assist in the rehabilitation of the homes that are damaged. Construction materials were being deployed to the communities on Tuesday.

“Based on the assessments conducted across the Regions, the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region 9) which shares border with Brazil was hardest hit,” the CDC stated.

The Regional Disaster Response System was activated and assessments revealed damages to the two homes and a few earth surfaces cracks. The CDC stated that while the team was on the ground, loud rumbling sounds were heard about three times from different directions around the communities on Monday.

“There are no reports of loss of human lives. Residents reported that years ago this sound was heard, and it felt like “movement” of the earth,” the CDC said.

Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman, Bryan Allicock further revealed that the village of Sawariwau, which is closer to the Brazilian border, has been experiencing tremors for years.

The CDC will now be partnering with the Minister of Natural Resources to conduct further analysis, observation, and assessments to gain a comprehensive perspective of the Region’s susceptibility to seismic hazard.

The CDC is also in discussion with the Seismic Research Centre of the University of the West Indies and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency to provide technical support if the need arises.

The result of these assessments could determine future actions which can include but not limited to conducting earthquake preparedness and response planning and training, evacuation drills and exploring the possibility of developing earthquake-resilient infrastructure codes for that Region and by extension Guyana, the CDC stated.