The largest anti-seismic exercise in Greece begins

The exercise will start today in Crete, where a message will be sent from 112 to the general population in Chania and Rethymno and the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias will be present. Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 23, there will be two more messages from 112, which will be sent throughout Crete in the morning.

All messages will begin with the distinctive wording “EXERCISE – EXERCISE – EXERCISE” to make it immediately clear what an exercise is and to avoid any misinterpretation and confusion.

The start of the Full Development Field Exercise will take place at 11:30 at the Cultural Conference Center of Heraklion. The Meetings of the Regional Operational Coordinating Body for Civil Protection (PESOPP) will be held in the same place during the course of the exercise.

This is the largest full-scale Operational Field Exercise ever designed in the country to deal with a major earthquake organized by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the Organization for Earthquake Planning & Protection (OASP) and the Region of Crete.

Following the large number of actions throughout the island, as well as the map exercise that took place on February 15-16, the final phase of “MINOA” is being held in the field on April 22, 23 and 24 in the four Regional Units of Crete and will form the basis with which corresponding exercises will be conducted in each Region of the Country.

The purpose of the operational exercise is to contribute to the reduction of the seismic risk in Crete through a series of coordinated actions, in accordance with what is foreseen in the General Plan for Confronting Emergencies and Managing the Consequences due to Earthquake “Engelados 2” of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

The exercise also aims to improve both emergency and crisis management plans, as well as the coordination of services and the process of gathering and evaluating information. In addition, the aim is to train all agencies, strengthen preparedness and interoperability, include volunteer groups in planning, as well as raise awareness among the population.

According to the exercise scenario, after 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 22, 2024, a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 R will occur centered in the underwater area, 20km NE of the city of Chania, affecting the P.E. Chania and Rethymno. On Tuesday morning, approximately 24 hours after the first strong seismic event, a new earthquake of magnitude 7.2 R with an epicenter of 30 km occurs in the underwater area north of the Heraklion gate, which is strongly felt throughout Crete and the wider region, affecting particularly the P.E. Heraklion and Lasithi, while at the same time marine geodynamic waves (Tsunamis) are caused which attack the northern coasts of Crete.

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