An estimated 7,000 people could be killed, tens of thousands
injured and a further 200,000 left homeless if a powerful earthquake struck
Israel, a government minister has warned following six separate tremors over
the past week.
The home front defence minister, Gilad Erden, told the
Israeli parliament this week that national disaster exercises would be held
over the coming weeks.
"This is not in response to the recent series of
earthquakes, but rather part of our programme of preparation and response in
the event of a [major] earthquake," he said.
A public safety campaign in the Israeli media instructed
people to leave buildings for open ground in the event of an earthquake.
Five tremors have been recorded in northern Israel and one
in Eilat in the south over the past week. All registered between 3 and 3.6
magnitude.
Israel and the Palestinian territories sit on the Great
Syrian-African rift, an active faultline. The region has a history of major
earthquakes around every 100 years; the last one of serious magnitude was in
1927, in which hundreds of people died near the Dead Sea. Scientists have
warned that the area is due for another significant quake.
All new construction in Israel is built to withstand
earthquakes and missile attacks, and provide safe rooms and spaces for
residents. But office and apartment blocks built before the 1980s are at risk
of collapse during a major quake.
Some experts say the recent series of tremors could indicate
a significant quake in the relatively near future; others say the tremors
release pressure, making a major quake less likely.
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