How to survive an earthquake
1. In an earthquake, you should always scream for help. True or false?
False. Call out early to let people know where you are, then stop. The leading cause of death is being crushed, so conserve your strength — knock on a door or a wall instead of shouting.
2. If an earthquake happens while you are hiking, you should head for the summit. True or false?
True. An earthquake can liquefy the soil. In severe cases a landslide buries a village in earth, as soil and water mix and flow like a liquid. Climbing higher is how you avoid being buried.
3. Indoors, you should move to a corner of the room. True or false?
True. If a building collapses, a corner is more likely to hold a triangular void. The structural axis of a building runs through its corners, where the reinforcement is densest. Sit or crouch low in a safe corner.
4. The safest room in the house is the living room. True or false?
False. It is the bathroom — its concrete walls are built solidly to keep moisture out, and there is a great deal of pipework and reinforcement.
5. A person can last a week without water.
6. You can drink your own urine to survive.