#Tremors hit South Africa: What to do

We still have to equip ourselves with the knoweldge and skills on what to do when an earthquake strikes.

AN earthquake in Botswana hit 6.5 on the reichter scale sent aftershocks across South Africa with people feeling tremors in Johannesburg, Durban and other parts of the country on Monday, 3 April.

South Africa is not accustomed to a natural disaster such as earthquakes but do experiance tremors from the aftershocks of earthquakes from other neighbouring countries according to ER24. Although they don’t cause major infrastructural damage,

We still have to equip ourselves with the knoweldge and skills on what to do when an earthquake strikes.

What should you do during an earthquake?

Stay calm.
Try and stay where you are.
Use large and sturdy objects such as a big desk to crawl under.
If you are in a building, stand with your back against the wall near the centre of the building.
You should try and stay away from windows and outside doors.
Should you be outside at the time of an earthquake, look around.
Ensure you are clear from power cables or anything overhead that might fall on you.
Do not stand near or against a building, as debris might fall on top of you.
Use the stairs to evacuate premises (only when it is safe to do so).

ALSO READ: 5.3 magnitude earthquake hits Klerksdorp

What should you do after an earthquake?

Establish if you have sustained any injuries.
Check around you and try to see if anyone else sustained any injuries.
If you can provide first aid, proceed to do so.
If the building you are in sustained structural damage, or if you are unsure it may have, evacuate calmly and quickly (if possible).
Listen to your local radio station for emergency or news updates.
Do not enter any damaged buildings or areas.There might be debris lying around.
Be very careful around broken glass and other items that can cause you harm. Do not take off your shoes.
Stay away from beaches until the area has been announced as safe.
If the area you are in has an evacuation or emergency plan, try and follow it.
Expect aftershocks.

WATCH a visualisation of the historical Botswana earthquake:

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