We are deeply shocked

The quake calls to mind the destruction wrought by the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that shattered the desert citadel city of Bam in December 2003, killing over 31,000 people. It is a sad testament to the size and scale of recent natural calamities that we must be thankful for the fact that this latest tragedy is not of the extent of the last earthquake suffered by Iran. Nevertheless, whether it is 30,000 or 500, even one death due to such a cataclysm is a terrible thing, and our hearts go out to the dead and bereaved.

Iran remains vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits astride a number of fault lines and so it is imperative that the authorities have in place measures to deal with such an occurrence. Indeed, one positive point amid the tragedy is that officials seem to have responded well to the crisis, with relief and medical services being rushed to the affected areas and the suffering minimised.

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This latest calamity should have the effect of concentrating our minds here in Bangladesh on earthquake prevention measures and installing procedures to minimise the damage caused by quakes. We are far from invulnerable to earthquakes and have virtually no systems in place to deal with such an eventuality. An earthquake in Bangladesh could have devastating consequences.

Let us not wait until it is too late. It is time for us to think seriously about making our buildings and structures as earthquake-proof as possible and to put in place emergency procedures so that we are able to deal with a future quake in as competent and effective a manner as possible.