Jakarta prepares to face megathrust earthquake risks

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta government trained residents to face megathrust earthquake risks through a series of disaster simulation exercises, according to a local official.

"In the near future, we will conduct simulations simultaneously to reduce the impact of megathrust earthquakes, which is now a concern," said Wardaya, an official at the Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), in a podcast on Monday.

He stated that his office has prepared various simulation scenarios to reach all groups of people in Jakarta.

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Wardaya revealed that they have prepared scenarios for dealing with earthquakes in hospitals, densely populated areas, markets, schools, and office buildings.

He noted that, in addition to better equipping those affected by earthquakes, the simulation training also covers self-evacuation techniques for fire and flood disasters.

Moreover, the Jakarta BPBD collaborates with various skilled disaster emergency response personnel, such as firefighters, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and private companies' occupational safety teams, to implement the disaster simulation training for the community.

"There will be a circular letter issued by the governor regarding the simulation," he said.

According to Wardaya, this is not the first time the disaster simulation training has been held in Jakarta; it is a routine agenda of the local government and is also stipulated in a governor's regulation.

In this context, the Jakarta BPBD has prepared a facility to enhance people's literacy in disaster emergencies. It is equipped with disaster-response equipment and can be used by the community for free.

Through the simulation, the agency aims to test the existing disaster response operational standards to evaluate whether their field implementation remains optimal, Wardaya said.