In response to the current seismic activity in eastern Cuba, the Red Cross in Santiago de Cuba instructed children on Tuesday on how to protect themselves in the event of a major earthquake, promoting awareness and a culture of prevention against such disasters.
Aris Arias Batalla, head of Operations and Relief for the Red Cross in Santiago de Cuba, shared a video on Facebook of a practical exercise conducted at the Seminternado Hermanos Marañón, located in the Vista Hermosa Popular Council, where children were taught how to respond to a major earthquake.
Arias emphasized that the goal of the exercise was to "talk with pioneers, teachers, and offer recommendations to protect the health and physical well-being of our pioneers and the community at large."
In another post, the representative of the Red Cross indicated that the practical exercise "tested the response and handling of a perceptible high-magnitude earthquake."
Arias emphasized the importance of taking precautions during the earthquake and, once the shaking has stopped, to proceed with an immediate, safe, and organized evacuation to clear areas that do not pose danger to children and workers.
Additionally, a collective discussion was held with those present to reinforce knowledge on what to do before, during, and after these sudden natural phenomena, emphasizing that preserving historical memory is crucial to mitigating the impact of these events.
Although such measures may concern families of children, it is essential for the little ones to be aware of them, as they live in a city with high seismic activity and the school year has resumed.
Furthermore, this is not the first time such measures have been implemented in the province of Santiago de Cuba, which has experience in dealing with this type of situation.
However, specialists from the National Center for Seismological Research have emphasized that, although 1,943 aftershocks have been recorded since Sunday until 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, it is impossible to predict a major event in the short or medium term.
Dr. Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the National Seismological Service of CENAIS, refuted on Facebook this Tuesday the false alert that circulated among the public regarding the supposed occurrence of a major earthquake. Dr. Arango labeled those who spread this information as irresponsible.
"Today, irresponsible individuals have been claiming that a strong earthquake will occur in this city in the coming hours, causing panic in schools, workplaces, buildings, and other public places," Arango stated, emphasizing the importance of not succumbing to unfounded rumors that only generate unnecessary fear among the population.
The seismologist insisted that that information is completely false because "earthquakes cannot be predicted in the short or medium term."
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