Groundworks are underway for a residential and commercial container settlement in Petrinja and first residents are expected to move in to housing containers next week while the entire settlement could be completed in one month's time, state-secretary for infrastructure said on Wednesday.

The Strabag company which has been hired for the job started groundworks for the erection of the settlement that will cover 18,200 square metres.

The prefab housing containers are expected to be placed, providing temporary accommodation for quake victims, who were left homeless in the 29 December 6.2-strong quake.

The state secretary Tomislav Mihotic told Hina that there should be 100 housing units plus a business zone on the compounds.

The entire project should be completed in about three or four weeks, while the first containers could be put in place next week already.

Mihotic explained that preparations of this area will be conducted in stages and the first stage involves establishing the necessary infrastructure including water, sewage, electricity and so on.

The settlement could be used for two years but if it necessary that period can be extended.

The settlement is expected to contain small businesses to service local residents including bakeries, hairdressers and so on to provide as normal a life as much as possible in these circumstances.

About 100 housing containers will accommodate an estimated 300 to 400 Petrinja residents whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged in the devastating earthquake that struck Sisak-Moslavina County on 29 December.

Mihotic added that telecommunication companies were setting up base stations in the entire area hit by the quake and aftershocks. and good coverage should enable children to follow school online.

877 prefab containers set up to date in quake-affected areas in Sisak County

So far 877 housing containers have been set up in the earthquake-hit areas.

Mihotic said that in villages and rural settlements, prefab containers were set up near farms so that owners could care for their cattle.

A total of 46,000 buildings were damaged in the quake and to date 25,000 have been checked, almost 3,000 have been declared unfit for use.