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SINGAPORE : Singaporeans are better prepared to face tremors this time around.
A check by Channel NewsAsia showed that some buildings had put in place evacuation plans and warning announcements.
Some schools may postpone year-end exams, if tremors are felt on the day.
Students at Saint Andrew's Junior College (SAJC) were evacuated on March 6 when strong tremors were felt.
While the students at the school did not experience the latest tremors on Wednesday and Thursday, SAJC said they are trained to automatically head to the evacuation points if they experience any tremors.
Emergency preparedness is also a priority for Holy Innocents High School.
The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conducted an emergency preparedness exercise for the school, as part of a routine programme.
If the students do feel the ground shake, the school has trained them on how to react, even if they are in the midst of sitting for their exams.
"We've told them to get under the table, stay low, and stay there. Once tremors are over, invigilators will take them out of the hall or classroom to the evacuation points. In the event of an exam, what we would do is work with the police, SCDF and BCA (Building and Construction Authority). They'll tell us whether or not it's safe for students to go back. Whether or not the exams will continue, we'll look at the readiness of the students," said Christina Michael, Vice-Principal, Holy Innocents' High School.
The procedure follows guidelines issued by the Education Ministry, which said the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board will advise affected schools on the compensation of time lost due to the interruption of examinations.
The management of some private buildings, like DBS building, have also taken the initiative to inform occupants of anticipated tremors.
The BCA said there is generally no requirement for building owners do so, because buildings in Singapore can withstand the seismic shocks from distant earthquakes.
Although some callers to the MediaCorp News hotline were concerned about falling debris from buildings such as in the case of Robinson Towers, the BCA assured there's nothing to worry about.
It has also given Robinson Towers the all-clear.
"The debris that fell off were small pieces of loose cement that was dislodged from the base of a granite tile. So there's no cause for alarm. As far as Robinson tower is concerned, the building is structurally very safe," said Ong Chan Leng, Director (Special Functions), BCA.
Police said engineers from the HDB and BCA have inspected all 337 of the HDB, private and commercial buildings affected.
All the buildings inspected so far have been certified structurally safe. - CNA /ls
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