El Salvador conducts national earthquake drill

El Salvador conducted a national earthquake drill on Wednesday, October 14, to evaluate evacuation procedures and strengthen disaster preparedness. The exercise simulated a magnitude 8.0 earthquake with an epicenter off the coast of La Libertad at 10:00 a.m.

Coordinated by the Dirección General de Protección Civil, the drill involved 7,114 public and private institutions, including hospitals, universities, government agencies, and businesses. In the educational sector, activities were suspended at 5,413 public schools and approximately 200 private colleges to allow students and staff to practice moving to designated safety zones.

Luis Alonso Amaya, Director of Civil Protection, stated that the drill is part of the Disaster Risk Reduction Week and aims to consolidate a culture of prevention. Authorities have updated contingency plans based on historical seismic events from 1986 and 2001, while also reviewing risk maps for seismic, volcanic, and geological threats.