Important For Your Life : What Should You Do & Should Not to Do When an Earthquake Occurs?

New Delhi : During a disaster like earthquake, loss of life and property can be reduced with some caution and courage. When an earthquake occurs…

# Immediately leave the house, school or office and rush to a open field when an earthquake strikes. Stay away from big buildings, trees, electric poles etc.

# Use the stairs instead of the elevator to go outside.

# Do not run if you are trapped somewhere. This will have more impact of earthquake.

# In case of earthquake, move away from windows, cupboards, fans, heavy items kept above in the house so that you do not get hurt due to falling of heavy items and breaking glass.

# If you can’t get out, then get yourself under the strong furniture like tables, beds, desks and hold its legs tightly so that it does not slide away from the shaking.

# If there is no strong thing in house, then get close to a strong wall and sit on the knee by covering the delicate part of the body such as head, hands etc. with a thick book or something very strong.

# Do not stand near the opening and closing of the door, otherwise it may hurt.

# If you are in a car, stop the car on the roadside or in the open, away from buildings, hoardings, poles, flyovers, bridges etc. and wait until the earthquake stops.

Know what is the effect when an earthquake is of this much magnitude on the Richter scale:

# Seismographs show only when earthquakes occur on a 0 to 1.9 Richter scale.

# On 2 to 2.9 Richter scale there is mild vibration when earthquake occurs.

# On a 3 to 3.9 Richter scale, an impact like a truck is passing near you occurs.

# On a 4 to 4.9 Richter scale, windows can break if an earthquake strikes. Frames hanging on walls can fall.

# Furniture can move when an earthquake is on a scale of 5 to 5.9.

# The foundation of buildings can collapse when earthquakes occur on a 6 to 6.9 Richter scale. Upper floors may suffer damage.

# Buildings collapse when earthquakes occur on a 7 to 7.9 Richter scale. Pipes inside the ground burst .

# Large bridges, including buildings, also fall when earthquakes of 8 to 8.9 Richter scale occur.

# Complete devastation occur when earthquake on Richter scale 9 and above occur. If someone is standing in the ground, he will be seen the earth waving. Tsunami will occur if the sea is near. In an earthquake, each scale of the Richter scale is 10 times stronger than the previous scale.

In terms of earthquake, the country is divided into 4 seismic zones (2,3,4,5). Delhi-NCR falls in zone 4. This is the second number zone in terms of destruction. There is a possibility of earthquake of 7 to 8 magnitude on this Richter scale. The Delhi-NCR is strong danger zones for earthquake.