National Earthquake Safety
Day being observed today
The 10th National Earthquake Safety Day is being observed in
Nepal today by organising various awareness programmes.
The day is observed by Nepalis on 16th January every year, to
commemorate the catastrophic earthquake of 1934.
A major earthquake measuring 8.4 on the Richter scale had shaken
the country on that day, leaving over 5,000 people dead, some 25,000
injured and around 60,000 houses destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of
other houses were also partially damaged. The earthquake also caused
huge casualty and damage in the neighboring Bihar state of
India.
According to the National Society for Earthquake
Technology-Nepal, if an earthquake as powerful as that of 1934 is to
again hit Kathmandu valley then it would result in deaths of 40,000
persons and over 100,000 people may be rendered homeless.
In his message on the occasion of National Earthquake Safety Day,
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala called upon all to remain alert
of earthquake, adding that if public awareness about earthquakes
could be raised then it could save lots of lives and avoid loss to
property.
The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction
(DUDBC) is also celebrating the day by organising various programmes
in the capital.
According to a statement issued by the DUDBC, a rally will go
through the thoroughfares of the city and converge into a mass
meeting at the Bhugol Park, which was constructed in memory of
victims of 1934 earthquake.
Similarly, an earthquake safety exhibition is being conducted in
the office of the Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City and an earthquake
simulation is being organised indifferent parts of the country which
organisers said was to create awareness about earthquakes and share
knowledge and information about safety measures.
Meanwhile, Oxfam GB Nepal has urged the governmentto take
immediate initiative to improve the seismic resistance of public
buildings such as schools and hospitals to protect children and
women from earthquake.
Issuing a statement on the occasion of the earthquake day, Oxfam
said tens of thousands of Nepalis, mainly children, remain at risk
of avoidable death or injury due to lack of urgent steps to improve
seismic resistance of public buildings such as schools and
hospitals. nepalnews.com ag Jan 16 07
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