Contrary to popular belief, metros, which are actually considered one of the ‘safest’ places, are one of the areas that maintain their reliability during an earthquake. “Wouldn’t it have a more shocking effect because it is closer to the fault line?” If you are one of those wondering, continue reading our content.
In the light of the information provided by experts on this subject, we will try to find answers to the questions of what kind of situation we will encounter if we are caught in an earthquake in the subway and what we should do.
Metro Istanbul General Manager Özgür Soy and Yıldız Technical University Department of Transportation Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Halit Özen explained the curious things one by one.
First of all, let’s reassure you that the probability of such a visual obtained from artificial intelligence is fortunately almost non-existent. When the fault line map is examined, it is said that the railways, except for the Marmara Sea, were built to not pass through the fault line and the metro designs were built to be resistant to earthquakes of up to 8 magnitude. It is also stated that if there is still a possibility of evacuating people inside towards the exit direction during an earthquake, this is the best decision.
The misconception that subways are dangerous during earthquakes is quite common, but subway systems are one of the safest places during earthquakes. Since metro lines are located underground, they have the advantage of not being exposed to earthquake shaking like buildings above ground. Therefore, the risk of collapse or fracture during earthquakes is very low.
People traveling in the subway at the time of an earthquake are very unlikely to feel the earthquake.
All over the world, metros are the safest place to take shelter in case of a possible war, earthquake or disaster. Vehicles prepared for such situations go through all kinds of simulation and security measures. In the earthquake drill held in the Istanbul metro in 2020, it was demonstrated in practice what to do in such a situation.
So what can we do?
While in the subway:
If you are in the subway during the earthquake, take a fetal position next to the seat closest to you, and if possible, hold on to the handholds in the vehicle. In the meantime, protect your head with an item such as a bag.
It is very important to follow announcements and notifications at this time. Unless passenger evacuation occurs, do not leave the vehicle and remain stationary in a safe area. In addition, since there are no operators in the subways, communication can be established directly with the station via the “push to talk” intercom located every 200 meters.
If you are at the station and not in the subway:
Choose a safe area for yourself at your point on the platform and wait by crouching next to the nearest pillar. At this time, if you are on the escalator, hold on tightly, if you are in the elevator, press all floors, get off on the first floor and move to a safe area. In such cases, elevators remain disabled for a certain period of time; then it works again.
Creating a living triangle in common areas such as prayer rooms and toilets is of vital importance. Acting by listening to the instructions and announcements of the officers is one of the things that should not be neglected.
A solution was also developed for the electricity cut off during the earthquake.
The generators that must be located at the stations will be activated within minutes and will ensure continuity of electricity even in a possible outage. In addition, Metro Istanbul is among the businesses that will be given priority energy by AFAD. Talking about the precautions taken due to the Istanbul earthquake, Özgür Soy says that Istanbul has a generator power with an energy potential the size of the Uzunçayır Dam.
Metros will also be used as logistics support vehicles. After a possible earthquake, highways need to be evacuated as much as possible, and for this, the public is expected to use the metro for transportation.
In addition to all these, fully equipped teams are also trained for this. Panicking in an earthquake will only waste time. While not forgetting that the subways are one of the safest areas, it is extremely important to create a space for ourselves where we can be safe at that moment.
We hope that none of the situations mentioned in this article will need to happen, but taking precautions will save lives.
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