Nicaragua is preparing Thursday to face the effects of a major earthquake as part of the first National Multi-threats Exercise of the year, which also includes actions against volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.
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In this capital, the simulation starts from a hypothetical earthquake of 7.7 degrees on the Richter Scale that originated in the Pacific coast of Nicaragua at a depth of 10 kilometers.
An event of this magnitude would generate considerable damage to the country's infrastructure and endanger the lives of millions, which is why the exercise reviews the response of early warning teams and rescue specialists, specialists from the National System for Prevention, Mitigation and Attention to Disasters (Sinapred) told Prensa Latina.
It also evaluates the coordination between the Army, the Police, the Red Cross, the Fire Department, and the Ministry of Health, to eradicate fires, gas leaks and other effects, in addition to evacuating the population to safe places to avoid damage from the resulting tsunami.
On a tour of different parts of Managua, Prensa Latina noted the active participation of the population, state and private institutions in the exercise, fundamental for a country that registers several of these phenomena on a daily basis, although less intense than today's simulation.
For this first National Multi-threats Exercise of the year, Sinapred activated more than one thousand points throughout the country where response actions to different disaster scenarios are practiced, in which more than half a million Nicaraguans participate. This is the first of four disaster prevention and response exercises that the country will conduct throughout the year, all coordinated by Sinapred.
The rest of the simulations are scheduled for June 13, September 26 and December 17, and all will work on the different exercises for life saving, rescue, first aid, and coordination between voluntary and specialized forces to minimize the loss of human lives. ■