An Alert Simulation Exercise on tsumanis will be carried out in all island states of the Indian Ocean, including Mauritius on 14th October.
Suresh Boodhoo, Director of the Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) indicated on Monday that the action will be coordinated by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) based in the American state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
Boodhoo added that the aim of the simulation will be to test and evaluate the alert system and the steps that should be taken to lessen the effects of tsunamis.
He added that the exercise, which will be known as the “Indian Ocean Wave 09″, will simulate a tsunami alert situation following a fictitious earthquake in the region of the Indonesian capital Jakarta with a 9.2 magnitude on the Richter scale, the same intensity as the undersea quake which hit the region on 26 December 2004.
The earthquake engendered a tsunami which killed more than 260, 000 people, averred Boodhoo.
Also Boodhoo indicated that an alert bulletin will be issued by the PTWC simultaneously to all islands of the zone.
Following an analysis of the data, the MMS will then alert all stakeholders through bulletins, including the media, the Prime Minister’s Office, the ministries of education, of fisheries, and of environment, the para-military forces, the police and the fire brigade department.
And Boodhoo indicated that the alert system in the island is efficient and that two NGOs ; Climate Change and the Association for Sustainable Development regularly carry out sensitization sessions on tsunamis in schools throughout the island.
Source African Press Agency
