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Israel on Sunday, 5 Cheshvan 5773 began it’s first-ever earthquake preparedness exercise involving many emergency agencies. According to the worrisome data released, as much as 70% of buildings nationwide may collapse in a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, and in the Gush Dan area, which is the heart of Greater Tel Aviv, an estimated 95,000 buildings would collapse, entirely or in part.

At 11:00 on Sunday morning the drill got underway, with many residents receiving an SMS text message, testing the IDF Homefront Command’s new notification system. Emergency agencies were tested in every aspect of addressing an earthquake catastrophe, from response to operating on the scene to dealing with massive numbers of dead and seriously injured chas v’sholom.

While some of the more modern tall Tel Aviv buildings are categorized as safe, complying with modern building and earthquake construction code, they are not safe from fires erupting as a result of quake or other possible scenarios that would demand emergency services. This would include the Azrieli Towers.

Dubbed “Operation Turning Point 6”, officials confirm the event is the first of its kind in Israel, intended to test the abilities and performance of all agencies involved along with the national response. The drill simulates an earthquake in northern Israel registering 7.1 on the Richter scale. While it is the sixth consecutive annual homefront drill, it is the first focusing on a horrific earthquake scenario.

Responders will also be faced with addressing the aftermath of a 6 meter tsunami and a major hazardous materials incident in Haifa, which hosts the nation’s major chemical plants.

The statistics released by officials are frightening, explaining such a quake would leave R”L 7,000 fatalities, 70,000 people injured, and a startling 170,000 people homeless.

Part of the exercise will be held in Ben-Gurion International Airport, where they will drill receiving humanitarian aid from allied nations.

Minister of Homefront Affairs Avi Dichter explains that geographically speaking, Israel is in a high-risk earthquake region, demanding preparedness. Authorities have held smaller preparedness exercises which evaluated the performance of emergency agencies but in this particular operation, the response of the nation is being evaluated as well — along with the cellular telephone and other systems that will be critical in a state-of-emergency. Dichter was on hand in the Jerusalem situation room to monitor the drill’s progress.

Radio programs will be interrupted and announcements will be made, all part of evaluating the system during the drill which ends today at 19:00, continuing throughout the week. Rescuers during the week will drill various aspects of the earthquake, including rescue of victims from under collapsed buildings.

YWN PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for photos by Chadashot 24.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)