'The seismologic situation in Turkey has prompted Kazakhstan to draw particular attention to seismic security in Kazakhstan,' the press service of the Minister for Emergency Situations Yuri Ilyin has reported.
The head of the governmental department noted that more than 40% of the country's territory is quake-prone. For many years Almaty's Institute of Seismology, transferred to the Ministry for Emergency Situations, had received limited funding. With this in mind, over 30 seismic monitoring systems will be installed in the country's largest metropolis by late 2023 following the presidential order.
The Minister admits such work should be carried out in all seismic regions. The expert also explained how the warning system would work.
'We know about the epicenters where earthquakes may occur and the centers where sensors will be placed to record the occurrence of a background to an earthquake. They should automatically transmit a signal to the city and town alert system to alert the public. Perhaps even tens of seconds by the time of the seismic wave from the epicenter to the settlements will save more than one life.'
The Minister also added that Kazakhstan had strengthened the norms of design and construction in earthquake-prone regions.
'Their observance is the responsibility of project organizations and developers, and the quality of construction depends mainly on them. Often, residential buildings are built not only in large cities, including structures made out of brick. As a result, they don't correspond to standards and will not stand a devastating earthquake. The Minister added that it is a lot of work, and financing and legislation review are needed to tighten the developers' requirements', the Minister concluded.
Credits: Svetlana Shesternyova, Almaty
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