Minister says quake damage estimated at €5.52bn

(Hina) - Construction and Physical Planning Minister Predrag Štromar said on Wednesday that the damage caused by the quake that struck Zagreb and- its environs on March 22 had been estimated at 42 billion kuna. Experts from Zagreb's Civil Engineering Faculty have made five estimates of the damage and chosen the one they think is the most realistic, Štromar said in an interview with Croatian Television.

He said that work on a law to regulate the reconstruction of residential and other buildings damaged in the quake was nearing completion and noted that buildings would be built to accommodate people left without their homes in the quake and that after their flats were rebuilt, those buildings would be used as student dormitories.

Štromar said that money for reconstruction would be sought from the European Commission and World Bank, that a donor conference would be held but that some of the money would have to come from budget reserves as well.

Rebuilding chimneys and restoring heating and hot water is the top priority at the moment, to be followed by the reconstruction of schools, hospitals and other buildings, said the minister.

As for family houses, the minister said that those that were beyond repair would be torn down and that the ministry would help rebuild them.

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