December 30, 2020 – Due to yesterday's devastating 6,3 magnitude eathquake, schools in Sisak, Petrinja and Glina are damaged, and five of them are entirely unusable.
As Hina reports, Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs said today that, in addition to the five unusable schools, nine of them would be able to be repaired, and thirteen will be able to function. Also, Minister Fuchs announced that he and his associates would visit the area today.
More than 5,000 students left without school buildings
"Five schools are completely unusable, nine will be able to be repaired, but serious reconstructions are needed. We have thirteen schools that will be able to function," Minister Fuchs told reporters ahead of a government session at the National and University Library.
Minister added that 3489 students were left without a school building in Sisak, and 1843 students in Petrinja. They will plan on how to organize the classes.
As TCN has learned, the First Primary School in Petrinja, located in the very center of the city, which was hit hard, was utterly demolished. Classes can no longer take place there because the roof of the building has fallen to the first floor of the school.
Petrinja High School's principal says he and three employees were at the school at the time of the earthquake. When the quake struck, the building began to collapse. They moved to a safe place and then went down to the schoolyard. The ground beneath them was still swaying. The walls were damaged and cracked. According to the principal's estimate, the entire school will need significant reparation.
'The return will not be easy'
The earthquake also caused great damage to the High School in Glina.
"At the time of the earthquake, several employees found themselves at the school and, thank God, came out unscathed at the last minute. I am afraid that the return will be neither easy nor so soon. The photos say it all. After visiting most of the classrooms and offices, we will need help," said Glina High School's principal on the school's Facebook page.
She was hit by an earthquake in the center of Glina, 15 minutes after she left her office at the school. Unfortunately, the retired school janitor and his son are among the dead.
The principal of Viktorovac High School in Sisak says the earthquake was really terrible.
Zagreb schools to accept students
As Jutarnji list reports, the head of the Zagreb City Office for Education, Ivica Lovrić, said that yesterday's earthquake did not cause significant damage to school buildings in Zagreb.
"All Zagreb schools will be able to accept students on January 18. The good thing is that after the earthquake in March, we rebuilt most of the damaged school buildings, so we have no major damage after yesterday's earthquake. We hope that the epidemiological situation will be such that in the new semester, we will start with model A, that is, school teaching," said Lovrić.
This morning, the structural engineer visited two regional schools in Brezovica, but apart from minor cracks in the walls, there is no damage.
Sister of Mercy Danijela Dinjar, principal of the Women's General Gymnasium, whose buildings are in Varšavska and Gundulićeva streets in Zagreb, confirms that yesterday's earthquake intensified previous damage that has not yet been fully repaired.
"The once walled door and part of the ceiling above the end wall of the building collapsed. Three classrooms are not for use, so in the second half of the year, we will teach in a building in Varšavska Street, and we will renovate the rest when we have the funds," says the principal, whose school is attended by 214 students this school year.
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