Laos has opened a new earthquake monitoring center to provide information on seismic activity to the public promptly.
The center is designed to improve Laos’s ability to withstand earthquake disasters, promote the development of earthquake science and technology in Laos, protect the lives and property of Lao people, and provide a strong guarantee for economic and social development of the country.
It can provide information about earthquakes that have a magnitude of 3 or more on the Richter scale.
“Enhanced capacity building for the related expert team and the rapid distribution of seismic information will ensure the safety of people living in at-risk earthquake areas and around large-scale development projects,” said Director-General of the ministry’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Mr. Khanmany Khounphon.
The Lao National Earthquake Data Center is a two-storey building, which is 12 meters high, 14 meters wide and 33 metres long, equipped with modern facilities in 12 workrooms to monitor seismic data, according to Vientiane Times.
In November, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit Laos’s Xayaboury Province, causing considerable damage to property in the district.
The earthquake damaged various structures, including residential properties. Many villagers spent the night under makeshift tents, afraid to re-enter their homes.
Meanwhile, the completion of center highlights the economic and trade cooperation between China and Laos, especially following the Belt and Road Initiative. The construction began in November 2018 with funding assistance from China.
“This project is a milestone in the cooperative ties and traditional amity between the Chinese and Lao nations, which have constantly strengthened,” said the Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to Laos, Mr. Wang Qihu, quoted by Vientiane Times.
