X-A, 25 MANSI GUPTA

The Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed more than 8,000 people and injured more than 19,000. It occurred at 11:56 NST on 25 April

2015 , with a magnitude of 7.8 Mw. Its epicenter was the

village of Barpak, Gorkha district, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 km. It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal- Bihar earthquake.

Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.

Consequences…

Areas affected by earthquake….

Earthquake mitigation techniques…

Earthquakes are some of the most destructive of Earth’s natural hazards. For this reason, earthquake mitigation

is important for everybody, not just those in high risk areas. There are

several ways to protect yourself and your home from earthquakes as outlined in the FEMA handbook.

Buildings … The structure of a building or its skeleton, are subject

to shearing, bending, torsion, tension and compression during an earthquake. Buildings are designed primarily to resist vertical forces from gravity.

The floor and support beams carry these forces down to the support beams which in turn carry them to the foundation and support soil.

The failure of this during an earthquake can lead to damage or even total building collapse. Buildings made of  steel and supported concrete tend to withstand earthquake better.

Mitigation in buildings…

Protecting yourself…

Lessons learnt… After watching, exploring and listening the

upcoming news of Nepal earthquake(s) made me realize that how important it is to be calm and composed during these situations…

Not only adults but from teens to senior citizens should also be aware of taking care of themselves in such situation(s)…

It is really important to know that it is not the Earthquake that causes harm to anyone but due to poorly constructed buildings, people are dead.

Ignoring the fact, that there are rare situation(s) in which earthquakes causes severe damage to life and property like cracks in road and If the earthquake happens to be beneath the ocean floor, they can lead to a tsunami.

Safety measures… Since some building may catch fire, it is necessary

that all the building have their fire fighting equipment in order.

Since some buildings may catch fire, it is necessary that all the building have their fire fighting in order.

Next, you should protect your head and  body from falling objects by crawling under a sturdy table or desk.

Most importantly, hold on! Hold on to your head and neck until the shaking stops. However, you should be prepared to move about in case shaking shifts your structure about.

For a person present inside of a building:

Stay away from tall and heavy objects that may fall on you Stay indoor until shaking stops and it is safe to move

outside. Most of injuries occur when people, inside the building, attempts to move to a different location within the building or try to leave it.

For a person caught outside in the open:

Find a clear spot, away from buildings, trees, bridges and overhead power lines. Drop to the ground.

Do not come out, if in a moving vehicle. Drive slowly to a clear spot and stay inside. Come out only when the tremors stop.Thank you…