An Earthquake Drill was Conducted in Beşiktaş!

An earthquake and fire drill was carried out in Beşiktaş within the scope of 1-7 March Earthquake Week with the initiative of our Municipality and the Social Disaster Platform (TAP)...

Under our municipality's coordination, a comprehensive earthquake and fire scenario drill lasting 3 days was organized in Beşiktaş in collaboration with the Social Disaster Platform, AKOM, İBB Fire Department, Federation of Scouts Union of Thrace, the Mountain Search and Rescue Team, the Canine Search and Rescue Team and İZEV. In the drill, which was also attended by many international search and rescue teams, the teams also carried out search and rescue activities by camping in the region on 4-5-6 March. In this drill organized with the support of the French Search and Rescue Team and Japan Earthquake Experts, the teams carried out search and rescue activities in two buildings that were evacuated in the Akat Neighborhood. The extensive drill aimed to increase social awareness against the possible Istanbul Earthquake, as well as to help the teams work in a coordinated manner and to improve collaboration between local institutions.

Deputy Mayor of Beşiktaş Oylum Işık, who participated in the exercise, said, "We have a team of 163 people in the field. Under the coordination of Beşiktaş Municipality, we carried out a drill together with the volunteer search and rescue team that we created with employees from our municipality and other non-governmental organizations. The area where we will perform the exercise is a building that was evacuated after being identified as risky. AFAD declared 2022 as the year of earthquake drills. After evacuating the risky structures, we decided to conduct an earthquake drill. The earthquake is a truth in our country. We are aiming to organize what can be done after the earthquake as well as replacing the building stock. "

Rezzak Elazat, Chairman of the Social Disaster Platform, made the following statements: "We are conducting a comprehensive national drill within the scope of March 1-7 Earthquake Week. Search and rescue teams from France and Japan, as well as many non-governmental organizations, will simultaneously conduct a drill. We will also respond to the fire that may occur after the earthquake. We have created many rescue stations with contributions from firefighters, volunteers and expert municipal staff. We participated in the exercise with a team of 163 people. ”

Japanese Earthquake Expert Yoshinori Moriwaki, who participated in the exercise, made the following statements: “It is very important to have drills. There are very dangerous points in the Marmara Region such as İzmit, Gölcük and Adapazarı. We are lucky that small earthquakes occur. Small rooms can be risky during an earthquake. You have to form a triangle of life in a big room. A human can live three days without water. Store some water where you form the life triangle. A human can can live for two weeks if they have water. "