Portugal Safety and Security report Wednesday 3rd January 2024
Good morning and Happy New Year to you. Unfortunately it was far from being a time to celebrate in Japan with a major 7.6 Mag earthquake occurring on New Year’s Day that has so far cost the lives of at least 48 people, with many reported missing.
The earthquake resulted in a tsunami, but this was localised and is not known to have resulted in further casualties. Resulting from the earthquake there was a fire that resulted in 200 buildings being destroyed as well as mud slips. Over the next few days and weeks it is likely that the deaths from the last earthquake in Japan will climb as emergency services search collapsed buildings and infrastructure.
Japan is at very high risk of earthquakes and a great deal has been invested in terms of resilience to reduce the impact. Compare the number of casualties with that of the 7.8 Mag earthquake in Turkey/Syria and the 6.8 Mag earthquake in Morocco last year which resulted in 58,000 deaths and nearly 3000 deaths respectively, countries where building construction codes are not to such a high standard.
However these earthquakes in terms of intensity do not come close to the 2011 Mag 9.1 earthquake and tsunami in Japan which resulted in the death of around 18,500 to 20,000 people. The accompanying tsunami sped quickly across the Pacific and affected the shores of North America (2.7-metres) and some 18 hours after the quake, waves roughly 0.3 metre, reached Antarctica. The 2011 earthquake has been estimated by seismic experts at around 40 times stronger than the current earthquake, so you can only imagine how devastating this was.
Although Portugal is at risk of earthquakes we have been fortunate so far but early warnings of tsunamis are vitally important, as tsunamis can occur a long way off shore. The above also illustrates the importance of creating resilient communities the reduce the impact of such disasters.
Immediately after the latest earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7.6 was observed in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, information about the actual damage and requests for rescue were posted on X, but misinformation and disinformation also spread. Unsubstantiated posts claiming that this earthquake was caused “artificially” (man-made) are also spreading. Some of the false information has been viewed more than 1 million times using videos unrelated to the earthquake, such as a video of a Japan Meteorological Agency press conference when North Korea conducted a nuclear test in the past.
Immediately after the quake, videos purportedly showing the damage, as well as rescue requests from people claiming to be trapped under collapsed buildings, were posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. NHK has verified that some of the posts contain fake information. Some posts calling for help included non-existent addresses or unrelated videos. Some of the footage showed the tsunami that hit Japan after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. One such post has been viewed more than one million times.
This issue of “misinformation” and “disinformation” was rife during Covid-10 pandemic, and is something to be aware of during major disasters. This applies to Portugal as well as overseas countries.
Japan has had a bad start to the New Year, when yesterday an aircraft carrying nearly 400 passengers collided with a Japan coast guard aircraft with six people on board, during landing at Haneda airport Tokyo, bursting into flames before it came to a stop. A very quick and effective response by the airport emergency teams managed to evacuate all the passengers with just 17 injuries. Those board the coast guard plane were not so fortunate with five dead and the Captain with serious injuries.
Some people may question why we “report on such topics where our primary focus is for those living in Portugal or visiting the country. The reason is clear from the “About Us” section on our Facebook page which states “We provide information and advice for residents in Portugal and visitors to the country, not only of local news, but also any overseas news concerning major incidents on topics within our safety and security remit, which could affect residents travelling to those countries or who may have relatives and friends overseas who could be affected”. I hope that clarifies the position for those in any doubt.
With that our team at Safe Communities Portugal wish you all A Very Happy and Safe New year
News
Earth at maximum speed and closest to the Sun on Wednesday
Wednesday is the day in 2024 when the Earth will be closest to the Sun, the so-called perihelion, which coincides with the planet’s highest orbital speed, reaching 30.3 kilometres per second, according to the North American website EarthSky.
On this date, the Earth will be around 3% closer to the Sun, just over 147 million kilometres, that is, around five million kilometres less than at aphelion, when the distance is greater, at the beginning of July. The average distance is around 150 million kilometres.
The Earth describes an elliptical orbit of 930 kilometres and the orbital speed is lower the greater the distance from the Sun and greater when the distance is smaller.
Thus, the current speed is around one kilometre per second faster than when the planet is further away from the central star of the solar system, says EarthSky.
Woman found dead inside a well in Figueira da Foz
A 74-year-old woman was found dead this Tuesday in a well in the town of Ribas, in the municipality of Figueira da Foz, a Civil Protection source told the Lusa agency
“Upon our arrival, the victim was inside the well and we proceeded to extract the victim, which was then assisted by the VMER [Emergency and Reanimation Medical Vehicle], which confirmed the death”, added a source from the Sapadores Firefighters of Figueira da Foz.
According to the same source, the Figueira da Foz Sapadores responded to an alert for a woman who had fallen into a well, not knowing at the time whether she was “alive or not”.
According to a source from the Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of the Coimbra Region, the alert was given at 11.54 am, with a total of 13 operatives on the ground, supported by five vehicles, including Sapadores, Cruz Vermelha, GNR and INEM.
Comment
Although the circumstances of this tragic death are unknown, Safe Communities reminds well owners to make their wells safe by ensuring they are covered in accordance with the law. Unfortunately despite enforcement action taking place in some municipalities many still remain uncovered.