The emergency SMS alert system Belarus uses has proven to be inefficient, a senior official said following a hurricane that left six people dead
Belarusian authorities are working on a new emergency warning system after a devastating hurricane swept through the country last week, claiming the lives of six people and injuring dozens, the head of the presidential administration, Dmitry Krutoi, has said.
According to the official, the SMS alert system currently being used in the country is inefficient.
“That’s why together with the Emergencies Ministry, we are thinking about [introducing] a wartime format – including the use of alarms and loud sirens that will instantly turn on in the event of hurricane winds and potentially visible terrible phenomena. People will understand that they need to run for cover,” he told journalists on Saturday, local media reported.
The main point of such measures is to save lives, Krutoi emphasized, adding that the hurricane that raged over Belarus last Sunday resulted in deaths and that “lessons should be learnt” from the tragic events.
On Friday, during a meeting with his administration, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko criticized local authorities for “awful work” and the lack of an adequate, “quick, clear, military” response to the natural disaster.
He vowed that all the issues related to overcoming the consequences of the hurricane will be resolved and “appropriate conclusions” will be drawn.
According to Belarusian Emergencies Minister Vadim Sinyavsky, the heavy storms that took place last weekend wreaked havoc in 74 areas of Belarus, causing extensive damage to nearly 950 communities. Some six people, including two children, were killed by falling trees and roofing elements, while 72 people were injured.
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