The US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena yesterday said if a 7.0 Richter scale earthquake strikes Dhaka, at least 70,000 of the city's 350,000 buildings will collapse.
"The mind cannot even begin to fathom a disaster of this magnitude. But fathom it we must ... we simply must think the unthinkable, imagine the unimaginable prepare for the disaster of all disasters," he said this while speaking as the chief guest on preparation programme on prospective earthquake at a city hotel.
Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh Army and United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) jointly organbised the fifth annual Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange 2014 (DREE), focusing communications among various ministries, agencies of Bangladesh and the international community for providing assistance to rescue and recovery. Commander, Military Institute of Science and Technology Major General M Siddiqur Rahman Sarker formally inaugurated the four-day annual DREE, while Mesbah ul Alam, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and Brigadier General Sayeed Khan, Chief, Operation and Plans Directorate, Armed Forces Division spoke.
The US envoy said, "April 24, 2013 ...It was a horrible day. Rana Plaza collapsed, destroying 1136 lives, injuring hundreds more, tearing apart hundreds of families ... the wails of grief were heard around the world. It was a horrible day ......but a day that carried instructive lessons for us. Rana Plaza was a taste of what would happen when Dhaka is hit by a major earthquake."
"I applaud the Government of Bangladesh for its deep commitment to engaging on preparations for a large-scale earthquake. I am proud that America is Bangladesh's partner in making these preparations," Mozena said.
He said the four-day exercise will focus heavily on communications, communications among various ministries and agencies of the Bangladesh government; communications between government agencies and civil society; communications with the media and the citizens of the nation; communications with foreign governments and the international community as they seek to provide assistance for rescue and recovery.
"Employing a combination of table-top exercises and field exercises, DREE will test and validate the plans that the government, civil society and other stakeholders have in place for responding to a mega-disaster.
