Five Precautions for Self-rescue after an Earthquake - Earthquake Self-rescue - Family Health - Signature Dishes and Gourmet Website

Earthquake experts say that there are five precautions to be observed in self-rescue after an earthquake.

One, if you are buried after a quake, it is important to remain calm. The most important thing is to have the confidence to survive and believe that someone will definitely come to rescue you.

Two, protect yourself from further harm. After-shocks will continue to occur after an earthquake and the environment may deteriorate further. Rescue operations will also take some time. Therefore, try to improve your surroundings, settle down and attempt to escape. Pay attention to keeping your airway clear, try to move away debris in front of your face and chest, and clear dust around your mouth and nose; when you smell gas or the dust is too thick, cover your mouth and nose with wet clothing. Try to avoid unstable collapsed objects or suspended objects above your body. Move surrounding movable debris to expand your activity space; use bricks, stones, sticks, etc. to support collapsed walls to prevent being further buried during aftershocks. Do not use indoor power sources randomly, and do not light fires.

Three, try to contact the outside world. Listen carefully if there are other people around. When you hear human voices, use stones to knock on iron pipes or walls to send out distress signals.

Four, if you cannot contact the outside world, try to escape by yourself. Observe whether there are any passageways or lights around you. Analyze and judge your location, and which direction might lead out; try to remove obstacles and open up a passage. If opening up a passage takes too long, requires too much effort, or is unsafe, stop immediately and conserve energy.

Five, if you cannot escape temporarily, patiently protect yourself. Do not shout loudly or move forcefully to prolong your life. Try to find food and water, and use them sparingly. If injured, try to bandage the wound.

This article comes from: Zhaopai Cai Network (www.zpcai.com). For more information, refer to: http://www.zpcai.com/news/baojian/2008/520/32107.html