25 schools damaged, says report

Out of 25 schools affected in a recent earthquake in Ranau, Sabah, four were so badly damaged that they had to be evacuated.

A report says the remaining 21 schools – 12 in Ranau, five in Tuaran and four in Kota Belud – had minor damages that did not affect the structural integrity of the buildings.

Federal government forensics team which checked for damage and structural safety of all the buildings found four had to be evacuated for safety reasons, three in Ranau and one in Kota Belud.

Badly damaged schools SK Bundu Tuhan, SK Marakau and SJK Cina Pau Wen (all in Ranau) and SK Sayap Kota Belud had to be structurally repaired.

In SK Sayap, the teachers’ block was badly damaged with 40 pillars exposed – their inner steel frames showing – because of non-compliance with standards set in engineering and design. The block had to be evacuated so repair work could be done.

SK Bundu Tuhan’s single storey building that was semi-permanent had its concrete poles and inner steel frames exposed due to shoddy workmanship. The building had been shifted from its original position by the earthquake so was not economical to repair. It had to be evacuated, he said.

SK Marakau’s level one transition class constructed from wood was damaged, its wood infected by termites so it was beyond repair. It had to be evacuated.

SJK Cina Pau Wen’s concrete two storey administration block was damaged. The lower level had to be evacuated as the walls gave way because they were not strengthened with steel rods.

It was said that repair work included demolishing the existing walls and reconstruction.

The remaining 21 schools needed some work done on them so had to be closed.

A committee had been set up chaired by the Geoscience Department and relevant agencies such as Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry as well as the Works Department.

Besides identifying earthquake-prone areas, research had to be done on what materials can withstand the tremors and are affordable.