Now Reading: Trapped in rubble: earthquake survivors can last a week or more
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Trapped in rubble: earthquake survivors can last a week or more
Rescue teams in Colombia are racing against the clock two days after a deadly earthquake, but experts say trapped people can survive for a week or more if injuries are minor and…
The Story in Brief
Rescue teams in Colombia are racing against the clock two days after a deadly earthquake, but experts say trapped people can survive for a week or more if injuries are minor and weather is moderate. Most rescues occur within 24 hours, and chances drop each day. Notable survivals include a Japanese teenager and his grandmother rescued after nine days in 2011, and a Haitian girl pulled from rubble after 15 days. Survivability depends on a debris-free void space, air, water, temperature, and hazards from fire or chemicals.
The Indian Opinion
The example of a Haitian girl rescued after 15 days under rubble is often waved as proof that hope should never die. But the same stories can lull us into underestimating how fast odds fall after the first 24 hours. The real test for India, where many cities sit on seismic zones and have poor building enforcement, is whether our buildings create void spaces at all. Will a future rescue team in Bhuj or Delhi find survivable pockets, or just pancaked concrete?
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
