T

he 7.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Jambi province last Thursday morning has isolated the whole subdistrict of Renah Kemumu in Jangkat district, Merangin regency, due to landslides that blocked access to roads in the region.

Sarko Military Base's intelligence officer, Capt. Yusnedi, said Monday the landslides could have been caused by heavy rain that followed the earthquake.

"The SAR *search and rescue* team, as well as a joint team comprising police and military personnel, have had to walk about 20 kilometers to reach the subdistrict," he said in Jambi.

He added piles of soil, caused by landslides, were sighted on the road leading to Renah Kemumu, making it difficult for motorized vehicles to pass through.

Merangin Deputy Regent Hasan Basri Harun confirmed the poor state of the road, and said the access road to Renah Kemumu was "completely cut off".

"But we have deployed heavy equipment to clear soil from the road caused by the landslide," Hasan said.

He also said emergency aid, such as food and medicine, had been sent to the affected areas.

"However, because it's impossible for four-wheeled vehicles to reach the region, motorbikes are being used to transport aid," Hasan said.

He added a disaster-handling post would be established at Danau Pauh, the nearest village to Renah Kemumu.

So far, he said, no fatalities had been reported as a consequence of Thursday's earthquake in the subdistrict.

Because of the quake, however, some schools in Jangkat district were forced to send their students home because school buildings had been heavily damaged.

Among the closed schools is the state-run junior high school SMPN 8 Merangin.

"We have been forced to temporarily shut down the school," principal Horizon said.

"The school will be shut until further notice because there are fears more earthquakes may occur.

"Besides, we don't have enough rooms left to teach our students."

Since the second earthquake struck five days ago, most residents are opting to stay outside their houses because they fear another earthquake may strike.

So far it has been reported about 80 houses in Renah Kemumu have been heavily damaged by the quake.