POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE KILLS 1,000 PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN

Earthquakes are one of the most powerful, frightening, and destructive phenomena of nature. They occur suddenly and instantly, and people are often unprepared for them. In an instant, life changes radically.

For example, last week, on 7 October, in western Afghanistan, powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.3 killed almost 2,500 people. Over 9,000 people were injured, and 1,329 houses were damaged or destroyed. At the same time, families whose houses were built of clay were the most affected, said the official representative of the Ministry of Disaster Management of Afghanistan Janan Saik.

According to open sources, the mud houses collapsed at the first tremor. It is unknown how many people were buried under the rubble of the clay houses. 

Now it is difficult for rescuers to reach remote areas due to lack of communication and difficult terrain make the rescue operation difficult.

Unfortunately, in the world, there is no way to predict earthquakes with certainty. Mankind, animals, plants are vulnerable to natural elements. 

Today, in all countries of the world the catastrophe in Afghanistan has become a signal that it is necessary to be concerned about the condition of houses and architecture. 

It is no secret that Kyrgyzstan is located in a zone of seismic activity. The high seismicity of the territory makes special demands on the construction industry of the republic, and it is necessary to develop and implement a long-term and purposeful state policy in order to increase the level of seismic resistance of existing and newly constructed buildings and structures.

For example, according to the seismic microzonation map of Bishkek, the maximum strength of an earthquake in the capital can reach up to eight points. Therefore, if the building is constructed in accordance with all norms, it will not present any danger.

Furthermore, worldwide experience gained as a result of earthquake disasters has shown that it is economically feasible to construct buildings and structures so that they successfully resist seismic effects with a sufficiently low probability of collapse. For this purpose, special attention should be paid to survey, calculation and design in design, and in construction - to the quality of workmanship and execution of all design solutions.

Meanwhile, officials of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic regularly conduct comprehensive exercises to eliminate the consequences of large-scale emergencies, regardless of the type of property, in social institutions, enterprises, kindergartens, schools, and educational institutions. In the course of such activities, they are taught first aid, correct behaviour, evacuation and other safety rules. 

For this reason, it is much easier to prevent an emergency than to deal with its consequences.

PRESS CENTRE OF THE MINISTRY OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC