Deadly quake leaves thousands dead in Turkey, Syria

Our heart goes out to the victims, and their families, who were killed and maimed in the devastating earthquake in Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing around 4,800 people at the time of writing this column.

What is more terrifying is the fact that the death toll could cross ten thousands.  A pall of gloom descended on Turkey, northern Syria and indeed rest of the world as news filtered about the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area. To make matters worse rescue efforts are being hampered by a winter blizzard that covered major roads in ice and snow.

It would be a monumental task for the Turkish and Syrian authorities (for Syria the task is doubly difficult as the country is in the midst of a prolonged civil war) to rescue people alive from the debris. It may take weeks to ascertain the sheer extent of the damage. Much of the damage caused by the quake has been in northern Syria, a country that has been ravaged by years and years of civil war.   

While we are deeply saddened by the events in Syria and Turkey the authorities concerned must look at the how an earthquake of similar magnitude might affect Bangladesh. The big question now is how prepared is Bangladesh for a moderate to major earthquake? Have we taken necessary steps to reduce damages if and when the next big earthquake hits Dhaka? While it is difficult to predict when the next big one will strike, we should take steps to contain the deaths and destruction before it eventually hits us.

Fire Service and Civil Defense Department is not fully prepared to face the disaster like earthquake. Even the disaster management personnel are not trained enough for facing this type of large scale disaster.

It is a sobering thought that the Army, RAB, Police and Fire Service needed 20 days to remove the post collapse wreckages of Rana Plaza (only a nine storey building) collapse in 2013. We already know that the tectonic framework of Bangladesh is such that we are a seismic active country. The Indian plate is creeping 6mm each year towards the northeast. At times, it moves under the Euro Asian plate and the Myanmar plate.

This poses great risks to the high-rise buildings of Dhaka and Chattogram. It also poses a threat to the flood protection embankments due to the liquefaction effect which could cause sudden sinking of large areas close to big rivers. Big earthquakes could cause huge fires from the breakdown of natural gas lines. There could be large scale power cuts and disruption of water connections.

According to geologists, three zones in Bangladesh are susceptible to earthquakes. The Sylhet-Mymensingh areas, and areas around Chattogram, Dhaka, Cumilla and Tangail are especially vulnerable to large scale earthquakes when compared to the rest of Bangladesh. But around one-third of Dhaka city itself could be severely damaged in case of a big earthquake. Buildings in old quarters of Dhaka are most vulnerable because of their age and also because they are not necessarily built with strong materials. In fact, Dhaka has been marked as one of the 20 cities most vulnerable to earthquakes in the world.

In order to be prepared to face eventualities, it is necessary to draw an earthquake vulnerability map of Dhaka. We also need to ensure that future buildings follow the building code. People in general should be tutored about possible ground motions when an earthquake occurs. Building insurance schemes must be introduced to initiate earthquake resistant construction.

The government should take initiatives to introduce automatic safety shutdown systems in all gas and electricity connections to prevent fires and electrocution after earthquakes. Post-earthquake rescue and recovery as well as hospital services should be in place for victims of earthquakes. The rest of the world should stand behind Turkey and Syria when they need global support the most.