IGP: Peru must be prepared for an earthquake of magnitude 8.5

Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP)indicated that after several investigations, our country must be prepared for a great magnitude 8.5 earthquake.

According to the specialist, multiple investigations carried out by several IGP scientists have shown the existence of a large area that has been accumulating deformation since 1746 off the central coast of Peru.

“This seismic event would generate high levels of ground shaking, which is worrying if we analyze the way in which Metropolitan Lima and Callao have grown in these years”said the specialist during the “Disaster Simulation Exercise” forum in front of 1,800 representatives specialized in disaster risk management, linked to the Organization of American States (OAS).

(Photo: The Trade)

The OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, members of the IADB and the Inter-American Committee for Disaster Reduction participated in the science meeting.

Tavera’s report was based on seismotectonic evaluation and identification of the areas of greatest seismic potential on the western edge of South America, Central America and North America.

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Along these lines, he considered it wrong to call geodynamic events a natural disaster when it is a natural process of our planet that is part of its evolution.

“The disaster appears due to a lack of preparation, a culture of prevention and because we are not aware that the Earth has its own evolutionary development. Earthquakes have occurred and will continue to occur. Nobody will be able to avoid them. We must prepare ourselves to face them”he underlined.