What to do if you are in a high-rise building when earthquake strikes? Here are some safety tips

Last night, on March 21, strong tremors of earthquake were felt in northern India including the Delhi-NCR region after a 6.6 quake struck Afghanistan on Tuesday. According to reports, the earthquake was felt in Turkmenistan, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan. People rushed out of their homes as the earthquake tremors lasted for several seconds in the northern Indian states including Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

The Delhi Fire Services said that they even received a call about the titling of a building in the Shakarpur area. Though later on it was found that the good intention call was made by the neighbour of the building and there was no tilt. Many people from Noida also noticed the same phenomenon and soon everyone was outside their buildings. The major reason was the high-rise residential buildings in most of the Delhi-NCR region.

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These buildings are not only dangerous during an earthquake but also in other disasters like fires, bomb scares and weather-related earthquakes. In such a situation, if someone is in a high-rise building, it is advised to not leave the building, especially if someone is on the top floor of a building.

There are other ways to save yourself when you’re in a tall or high-rise building. Here are some precautions that one can take if one resides in such a structure:

Earthquake in a high-rise building: Some safety tips

1.Take responsibility for your own safety first as in some situations, the first response might be delayed.

2.Familiarise yourself with the safety measures of your building, like fire alarms, sprinklers, voice communication procedures and alarm response.

3.Make sure the fire/emergency exit and stairwell are clearly marked and that they remain unlocked regularly. Also, make sure that they are free from debris and clutter that could obstruct the walkway.

4.If you are told to evacuate, go outside and gather at the pre-arranged meeting place.

What to do during an earthquake if you are in a high-rise building?

1.Move away from windows and outside walls.

2.Stay in the building. It is not advised to move to and fro during an earthquake. Follow the general rule of earthquake- Drop. Cover. Hold on.

3.Drop down onto your hands and knees before the earthquake knocks you down. This position protects you from falling and also allows you to move, if necessary.

4.Cover your head and neck underneath a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, get down near an interior wall or next to low-lying furniture that won’t fall on you. Then cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.

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5.Hold on to your shelter or to your head and neck until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around.

6. Do not use the elevators. The electricity may go out, and the sprinkler systems may come on.

7.If you are trapped, stay calm. Try to alert people or the rescue team by tapping on hard metal parts of the structure. Doing so may increase your chances of being rescued.

Some other considerations:

1.Walking/running during an earthquake can be fatal as the floor or ground is moving at the time of the quake. Studies in Japan have shown that walking as little as 10 ft or 3 m during an earthquake increases the chances of injury.

2.Taking cover is the only way to protect from falling debris which is the main source of injury in an earthquake.

3.If the building does collapse, a strong piece of furniture or a bathtub can provide the void space that lets you survive until rescuers can find you. If you are trying to walk somewhere, you are not being sheltered by any of these items.

4.Earthquakes don’t last that long. How fast can you practically leave your building when the floor/stairs are moving unpredictably and stuff is falling on you? Chances are you can’t make it all the way out of the building during a single earthquake anyway.

5.It is possible that moving toward the interior of the building or the staircase is a good idea, but that will also depend on your particular building.

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