• Publish Date
  03.12.2019
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Metro Istanbul is Ready For The Earthquake

Metro Istanbul Safety Management System Director Ali Cakmak delivered a speech at Earthquake Workshop that is organised by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Ali Cakmak indicated that their priority is passenger evacuation in disaster management and emphasised that generators that can power up the whole line for evacuation kick in when they are needed”.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality organised an Earthquake Workshop and first session of the workshop was about “Resilient Urbanisation”. Deputy Secretary General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Ibrahim Orhan Demir moderated the workshop. Participants assessed the issue of increasing Istanbul’s resilience against disasters. Affiliates of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Metro Istanbul and IGDAS participated in the meeting where they discussed about the disaster prevention strategies of Istanbul.

Passenger Evacuation is the Priority in Metro…
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Affiliate Metro Istanbul provides transportation services to 2, 5 million passengers every day. Metro Istanbul prepared a disaster prevention plan for the expected Istanbul earthquake. Metro Istanbul Safety Management System Director Ali Cakmak emphasised that their priority is to evacuate the passengers in vehicles in case of such an incident as soon as possible. Ali Cakmak informed the participants that to provide a swift evacuation, generators would kick in during such incidents to power up the whole line. Ali Cakmak added, “There are emergency exits in tunnels in every 750 meters to provide evacuation in emergency situations. There are also phones installed in these tunnels to provide communication in such incidents. Automatic fire extinguishing systems are also installed for possible fire outbreak. We prepared emergency evacuation scenarios for every station as well”.

Trains become shipping vehicles if needed…
Ali Cakmak indicated that they work in partnership with AFAD (Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management), AKOM (Disaster Coordination Centre) and Directorate General for Highways. Ali Cakmak emphasised “Rail systems are going to play a crucial role when the passengers are evacuated and rail systems can be used as shipping vehicles if needed. We are working together with a lot of agencies and institutes on earthquake incidents”.

Intervention Right Before the Earthquake…
IGDAS Interior Installation Director Nusret Alkan made a presentation on natural gas security during disaster and informed that they have early warning systems for such incidents. Alkan also informed that they get data from Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory, 5 to 10 seconds earlier before the earthquake so their early warning system kicks in. Nusret Alkan emphasised that they will be able to instantly turn off 450, 251 valves across Istanbul with this ability.
Alkan also shared that earthquake damage maps will be created right after the earthquake and added “We have 1, 280 staff in total along with 189 fully equipped emergency vehicles to carry out activities after the earthquake”.

Source:https://www.ibb.istanbul/News/Detail/36160

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