India will evacuate 40,000 people from 10 states and union territories on its eastern coastline as part of a two-day tsunami drill in which 23 countries are participating, NDTV reported. Authorities will attempt to complete the evacuation in less than three hours, while the day’s drill will last for 15 hours, according to the report.
The drill, which is being coordinated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, will simulate two scenarios. While an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 on the Richter scale will be simulated off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia today, a tremor with a magnitude of 9 on the scale will form the start of Thursday’s simulation in the South of Iran and Pakistan.
The overall drill will test the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre, which will send 15 tsunami bulletins through its global telecommunication system, email and SMS to its national and regional stakeholders. ITEWC Director SC Shenoi said the Centre has issued 8 real tsunami advisories since its inception in 2007, with “no false warnings” having been issued. He added that nuclear plants, including Kalpakkam and Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, will not be taking part in the drills.
International observers from the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction office will be sent to India and Seychelles to document the exercise and prepare a film for the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held on November 2 this year. Some of the Indian Ocean countries participating in the drill are Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France (La Reunion), Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman and Pakistan.
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