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The National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) has extended the emergency response period in the tsunami-hit district of South Lampung to another two weeks from January 6 to 19.

Pandeglang District, which also bore the brunt of the Dec 22, 2018 tsunami in Sunda Strait, was entering the transition of emergency response period, Chief of the BNPB Data and Information Center and Public Relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a press statement released on Sunday.

The tsunami killed 120 people and injured 8,304 others in South Lampung. The disaster also caused serious damage to 543 houses, moderate damage to 70 houses and light damage to 97 houses, forcing 6,999 people to flee their homes.

According to the agreement reached at a coordination meeting, the government has decided not to build temporary homes in affected areas in South Lampung but to resettle the tsunami survivors on 2 hectares of land in other area.

The emergency response period in Pandeglang district ended on Jan 4. Based on the result of a coordination meeting, Pandeglang is entering a two-month transition period from Jan 6 to March 6.

"During the transition of emergency period, temporary homes will be built (in the affected areas)," he said.

Sutopo said the temporary homes will be built for tsunami survivors who have fled their heavily-and lightly-damaged houses in the wake of the tsunami.

The temporary homes are needed to minimize social upheavals and accommodate the tsunami survivors during the rainy season so that they can live comfortably, he said. (ANTARA)