How to escape when an earthquake occurs

If you are in high-rise buildings when a major earthquake occurs, the first thing is to crawl under a sturdy table, not to find a way to run out.

A victim survived the Sichuan earthquake in China in May 2008.Photo Xinhua.

After the earthquake this morning off the coast of Phan Thiet, rocking many buildings in Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces this morning, many readers expressed concern about how to keep safe when the earthquake struck. out.

Mr. Le Huy Minh, Deputy Director of the Institute of Geophysics, gave the following advice:

When a major earthquake occurs, with obvious vibrations and furniture that jumps, falls, cracks walls .

- If you are going out on the street, you should stop, away from tall buildings, power lines and buildings that may collapse.

- If you are in tall buildings, you should go right under the table (under the chair or under the bed) firmly, to avoid falling objects injuring. Don't try to run out of the house right now because there's no time (earthquakes happen in a few seconds).

- However, when a strong earthquake passes, you should find a way to get away from the building to prevent further aftershocks, potentially damaging the house or causing serious injury.

He also recommends that when there are big earthquakes, people should sequentially follow the exit staircase out, should not push and run out of the buildings when there is a change, because of pushing, stepping on each other just doing delay, both causing injury and even death.

"With weak earthquakes as just happened in Phan Thiet, only a slight shake, people do not need to go out of the house," Mr. Minh said.

And here are some tips from the US Emergency Management Center, in case of an earthquake:

If you are in the room

- Go down under a solid table, wait until the ground stops shaking. If there is no table near you, use your hand to hold your face, head and sit at a corner; Keep away from windows, mirrors, doors and anything that can be dumped. If you're in bed, stay there, protect your head with a pillow.

- Stay indoors until the ground stops vibrating and when you know for sure it is safe to go out;

- Do not use elevators (because elevators can lose power, people are stuck in it, and ladders cannot carry many people at once).

If you are outdoors

- You absolutely should not run into the house, away from street lights or wires and stay outdoors until the ground stops vibrating. The biggest risk comes from the main entrance of buildings and outside walls. Ground shaking is rarely a direct cause of death. Most of the casualties from earthquakes come from fallen walls, broken glass, objects falling to the ground.

If you're in a car

- Stop the vehicle immediately in the allowed position and stay in the car. Avoid parking under or near buildings, trees, bridges over roads, power lines. Move carefully after the ground stops shaking. Avoid roads, bridges, and slopes that are damaged by earthquakes.

If trapped under rubble

- Do not turn matches or matches; Do not move or throw dust into blindness; Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or a piece of cloth; Tap on a pipe or wall piece so lifeguards can locate you stuck. Ho Big is just the final solution.

If you're in a crowded supermarket

- Don't rush to the exit. Stay away from shelves that contain falling objects.

If you're in a stadium or theater

- Sit in a chair, protect your head with your hands. Do not move until the concussion is over. If you see everything is okay, leave that orderly way.

In 2004, rescue specialist Doug Copp (Captain of Rescue Team of American Rescue Team International) caused a stir because of recommendations against the National Red Cross's safety advice. America. Specifically, Doug Copp said:

- People who hide under the table when earthquakes are easy to die. He gave the theory of "triangle of life", whereby people in the house should lie down next to objects such as tables, couches, beds ., because when walls, ceilings fall over them This thing, it will create gaps right next to it, creating a living triangle that people can shelter.

Doug Copp's "triangle of life" theory: He thinks that people will survive if lying next to things like tables, couches when there are earthquakes, instead of getting in there, because the ceiling collapses. Create a triangle space right next to these objects.

"The next time you watch a collapsed building, on television, count the formed 'triangles' you see. They are everywhere. It has the most common shape, you will see in buildings. collapsed, " he wrote.

- If you can't get out, lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a couch or a large chair. You can survive in a smaller space.

- If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed, curl up and lie next to it. A safe space will exist near the bed.

- Keep away from doorway and door jamb.

- Never go into the stairs. Stairs oscillate separately from the main parts of the building. The stairs and the rest of the building continued to bump into each other until the staircase structure broke. Those who enter the stairs before they break will be chopped up by the stairs. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

- Standing in the depths of the building, the harder it is to escape. Move out.