Earthquake

• Leam about its causes and effects. Speak about them in a calm and composed manner.

• Keep in a handy place a torch and a portable transistor radio.

• Arrange your home in such a way that it is possible to move more easily, keeping corridors clear of furniture and toys.

• Attach shelves, gas cylinders, vases and flowerpots to the walls of your home.

• Place heavy or bulky objects on the floor or on the lowest shelves.

• Teach all members of your family how to turn off the electricity, water and gas supply.

What to do during an earthquake?

• Keep calm and keep others calm.

If you are at home or inside a building or auditorium

• Do not rush to the doors or exist; never use the lifts; keep well away from windows, mirrors, chimneys and furniture.

• Protect yourself by staying under the lintel of an inner door, in the comer of a room, under a table or even under a bed.

If you are in the street:

• Walk towards an open place, in a calm and composed manner. Do not run and do not wander round the streets.

• Keep away from buildings, especially old, tall of detached buildings, electricity wires, slopes and walls, which are liable to collapse.

If you are driving:

• Stop the vehicle away from building, walls, slopes, electricity wires and cables, and stay in the vehicle.

What to do after an earthquake?

• Keep calm, switch on the transistor radio and obey any instructions you hear on the radio.

• Keep away from beaches and low banks of rivers. A huge wave may sweep it.

• Expect aftershocks

• Turn off the water, gas and electricity.

• Do not smoke and do not light matches or use a cigarette lighter. Do not turn on switches. There may be gas leaks or short-circuits.

• Use a torch.

• If there is a fire, try to put it out. If you cannot, call the fire brigade.

• If people are seriously injured, do not move them unless they are in danger.

• Immediately clean up any inflammable products that may have spilled (alcohol, paint, etc.)

• If you know that people have been buried, tell the rescue teams. Do not rush and do not worsen the situation of injured persons or your own situation.

• Avoid places where there are loose electric wires and do not touch any metal object in contact with them

• Do not drink water from open containers without having examined it and filtered it through a sieve, a filter or an ordinary clean cloth.

• Eat something. You will feel better and more capable of helping others.

• If your home is badly damaged you will have to leave it. Collect water containers, food and ordinary and special medicines(for persons with heart complaints, diabetes, etc.)

• Do not re-enter badly damaged buildings and do not go near damaged structures.

• Do not walk around the streets to see what have happened. Keep clear of the streets to enable rescue vehicles to pass.