Council meets on commencing earthquake prevention actions

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Third meeting of the Permanent Council for Prevention of Earthquake Disaster, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, was held September 16 at the State House. In conjunction with forming the new cabinet, the composition of this council has been renewed as well. Some 80% of the territory of Mongolia’s sedentary centers are located in seismically active zones, where 80% of the total population live. In the first eight months of August, 29 thousand quakes have been recorded in overall, of which over 1,000 occurred around Ulaanbaatar. The number of earthquakes increased by 30% against last year, said Deputy PM U.Khurelsukh and added that certain measures should be taken to heighten the emergency readiness. The council decided to forward purchasing of necessary technology, equipment and instruments, proposing the parliament to exempt these goods from duty and value added tax, and resolved to conduct triple check on old buildings and hospitals.