Where is the Safest Place to be during an Earthquake

Earthquake is the most fatal disaster in this era. Not only Bangladesh this is a matter of concern for the world people. There are thought to be 500,000 earthquakes that can be felt annually. There are 100,000 of them that can be felt, and 100 of them are harmful.  Buildings and bridges can collapse due to an earthquake ground shaking, which can also interrupt gas, power, and telephone services and occasionally create landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires, and tsunamis. Despite the significant fluctuation, the frequency of earthquakes has been rising on average throughout time.

In this article, we’ll learn about the 7 safest places to be during an earthquake.

What is an Earthquake and How does it form

An earthquake is the shaking of the Earth’s surface caused by a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere of the planet. Although the tectonic plates are constantly slowly shifting, the friction causes them to become impermeable at their edges. When the stress on the edge outweighs the friction, there occurs an earthquake that releases energy in waves that move through the earth’s crust and generate the shaking we experience.

Causes behind Earthquake happened

There have been more earthquakes caused by people due to activities like mining, nuclear blasts, and groundwater extraction. According to the data that is now available, around 728 earthquakes in the last 149 years may have been caused by human activity.

Another instance of how earthquakes have to be induced is the extraction of groundwater. The act makes the water table fall, which causes an existing fault to become unstable.

Any kind of disturbance on the earth’s surface can destroy perfection or disturbs the balance like war can cause earthquakes.

Compared to tectonic earthquakes, volcanic earthquakes are much less likely. When an explosive volcano erupts, it causes them to go off. The answer varies from volcano to volcano. The likelihood is lower if they are quiet.

Read More: How to find an epicenter of an earthquake

Read More: How to measure the earthquake actual epicenter

The safest place during an earthquake

Depending on where you are and the scenario you are in, many places can be considered safe. Whether you are inside your home, outside, in a busy area, or everywhere in between, your safe place will change depending on the situation.

If you are in a crowded or dense area

1. Don’t rush to the exit cause in this situation everyone would do the same thing. In this case most of the time there are chances to be trampled to death.
2. Try to envelop your head and face. This subject is quite delicate. If you get hurt somewhere else, you might be able to get better, but if you get hurt in the head, you might not make it.
3. Stay away from showcases where there is a chance to fall heavy things over you.

If you are outside

1. If you are outside of home stay away from buildings as there is a chance of collapsing buildings
2. Go to an open space
3. If you are in a moving vehicle or car, stop it at that moment and don’t hurry to get over it.Sit the car and wait for the earthquake to stop
4. If any electrical wire or power lines fall on the car but you shouldn’t try to move it by yourself. Wait for any technicians or skilled people to move it. Till then sit inside the car
5. Turn on the radio for broadcast
6. If you are in a wheelchair, try to lock all buttons

If you are inside of your home or office

1. Don’t hurry to exit through any elevator or down steps as you can be trampled by other people
2. You can take shelter under a table. It’s safer than any other thing
3. Don’t take shelter close to any heavy things like almirahs, bookshelf, tv, cabinets, or others. It can fall over you because of the shaking
4. If you are in your bed, stay there and protect your head by covering it with a pillow or any blanket
5. Turn off the stove or unplug the gas lines as soon as possible if you are in the kitchen

Conclusion

If you are trapped, don’t panic. Try to stay calm and wait for any help. When the rescuers come to rescue the injured people, try to get their attention that you are trapped here so that they are aware of your presence when the rescuers arrive.

Read More: Why Earthquakes strike suddenly, without warning

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