Above: Education Minister Josefina Pimentel (Photo: CIG)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Dominican Republic will invest approximately $3 million to help 39 school buildings that suffered damage from recent earthquakes in the country, according to the Ministry of Education.

Of the schools that have structural problems, 39 have more or less severe damage, and 75 have “minor” ailments, according to Education Minister Josefina Pimentel.

Pimentel said she had been working continuously with the Central Bureau of Infrastructure Assessment, which had been called upon in the cases of certain schools that were in a very critical condition, such as a Naverrete school and a school in Los Mina.

The country experienced several earthquakes in January above 5.0 on the Richter scale, causing cracks in a number of buildings throughout the country.

Pimentel some, more serious damage, was perceived as merely being a crack in certain structures.