PEOPLE in Asia woke up Saturday to news of a strong earthquake in Taiwan that left at least seven people dead and hundreds injured and buildings reduced to rubble.
The loss of lives and the extent of damage, rescuers said, make this earthquake the first big disaster in Asia this year. People were asleep when the temblor hit at about 4 a.m. in Taiwan. Hours later, the rest of Asia woke up to scenes of heroic rescue efforts to pull out victims from crushed residential and office buildings.
Those images brought to mind a similar disaster four years ago on the same date, February 6, when an earthquake hit Cebu and other parts of the Visayas. What stood out from that incident was a recollection not only of the lives lost or the structures wasted but also the panic that enveloped most of Cebu as reports spread in the streets of a tsunami or huge waves about to reach the city.
From that incident were lessons on how to prepare for an earthquake, what to do before and when it happens, and what not to do to cause panic in the streets and confusion.
Before noon of Feb. 6, 2012, just as Cebuanos were preparing for lunch, buildings and houses shook in a 6.7-magnitude earthquake, the strongest for that year. Cebu and Negros Oriental were hit with tremors felt as far as in Misamis and Iligan in Mindanao.
Epicenter was located at 72 kilometers under the sea north of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami alert at level 2, meaning people should prepare for “unusual waves” following the quake. Some radio announcers and the public misunderstood the tsunami alert to mean huge waves were coming.
Government did not issue an evacuation order but people ran on the streets to seek higher ground because of rumors that Barangays Pasil and Ermita were already under water. People calmed down only when local officials and media assured them the rumors were not true and there were actually no huge waves.
A stronger earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit Cebu and Bohol on Oct. 15, 2013, resulting in 222 people dead and massive infrastructure damage. Reports said it was the deadliest earthquake in the country in 23 years and it released energy equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs dropped during World War II.
This quake was followed three weeks later, on Nov. 7, by super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) that devastated parts of Visayas, including northern Cebu.
Government responders and agencies dedicated to emergency action have come up with lessons from the series of calamities to limit possible damage and casualties. When tremors were felt on March 29, 2015 in Cebu, response measures taught in disaster preparedness trainings in schools, hospitals and offices took effect.
The Taiwan earthquake is a fresh reminder of lessons from past calamities and of the right thing to do in the next emergency situation.
(ninicab@sunstar.com.ph)