Lesson for N.Z. in ’quake

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 29

Lesson for N.Z. in ’quake

New Zealand has a lot to learn from the earthquake which hit Mexico City in September last year, says Mr George Butcher, a Wellington engineer. Mr Butcher was one of seven New Zealanders who visited Mexico City after the earthquake. He was in Christchurch on Tuesday to speak at two seminars on the effects of the earthquake. One of the most important lessons to learn was the need for a reliable.

communications system, Mr Butcher said. The Mexican system broke down, hampering international rescue attempts. Mr Butcher said he believed that the New Zealand telecommunications and electricity distribution systems would stand up well to an earthquake. However, he said, Mexico City, in many ways, had several advantages a New Zealand city would not have. Because Mexico City was very large, and only a

small part of the city was badly damaged, many emergency services were available to cope with the disaster. “But if you take out the down-town Wellington area, you take out a big chunk of the city.” Mexico City had several big hospitals with 800 accident and emergency beds among them, he said. New Zealand cities would not have as many specialist services available. Many New Zealand

s buildings would not stand f up well to an earthquake a similar to the one that hit a Mexico City, Mr Butcher said. Parliament Buildings a would probably be desn troyed. g “We need to look further at those potentially il dangerous structures,” he :- said. “If we cannot re- / move them, at least we

e can take some precaus tions to protect people / from them.” New Zealanders should also be more supportive 1 of Civil Defence, as the

1 organisation would be ini valuable in such an emert gency, Mr Butcher • said. . > Preparing New Zealand for a big earthquake would be a costly busi- ■ ness, he said, but it would ' save a lot of money and > possibly many lives when the earthquake struck. ; “It is not a matter of if there is an earthquake (in i New Zealand), it is a matter of when there is 1 an earthquake — particu- > larly in the Wellington region.”