Muscat, October 20 (ONA) - The Sultanate, represented by the Civil Aviation Authority, today participated in the Iowave20 regional exercise organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. It is a committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) concerned with the early warning system of tsunami hazards in the Indian Ocean.

The regional exercise, which was carried out online, was a hypothetical earthquake with a magnitude of 9 Richter on the Makran Trench leading to tsunami waves that reach the coast of the Sultanate within a quarter of an hour. The waves' height is estimated at about 13 meters at exactly ten in the morning with the participation of the National Centre for Early Warning of Multiple Risks, the Ministry of Information, the National Committee for Emergency Cases Management, and the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance, where all parties participated in the review and evaluation of their operational procedures, plans, national policies and response to the tsunami.

Natural disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and fires can occur at any time, requiring the responsible authorities in emergency situations to make quick and sound decisions about community evacuations.

It is noteworthy that the exercise is carried out once every two years and all countries bordering the Indian Ocean participate in it. Three regional centres (Indonesia, India and Australia) undertake the exercise.

(ONA)