Nazarbayev suggested to transfer Seismology Institute to MES

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev suggested to transfer the Seismology Institute to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the President's Akorda website reports. In a meeting with Almaty Akim (Mayor) he said that new experts have to be attracted to the Institute and new equipment has to be bought for its laboratories. “We have to be honest to people. No one can deny that the southern part of our country, especially the foothills, lies is in a seismic zone. In Japan, the most earthquake-prone country, children are taught in schools and people are trained on how to act in case of earthquakes. This is a natural disaster, but we have to deal with it and its consequences,” the President said. Nursultan Nazarbayev said that the Government and Akim have to speed up the work to create an updated map of seismic zones of Almaty and the surrounding areas, develop an action plan for seismic research and provision of earthquake warnings, intensify efforts on seismic reinforcement of buildings. The President said that Kazakhstan has to learn from Japanese experience, where rescue teams were well-organized despite of destructions. He told the Government and Akim to resume training people.