REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PADANG - Residents of Padang District, West Sumatra on Wednesday were participating in a tsunami evacuation simulation conducted in a designated temporary shelter of Nurul Haq in Parupuk Village.

The tsunami evacuation simulation was held as one of the activities in the 2016 Indian Ocean Wave Exercise (IOWave) of which Padang has been chosen as a host.

"This activity was aimed to train the society so that they have preparedness in facing tsunami disaster," Observer of Bogor Institute of Agriculture Tubagus Furqon said here, Wednesday.

Local authority fashioned a near-reality scenario of tsunami disaster started by the blaring sirene of the tsunami early warning system.

Local residents then followed the instructions and evacuated themselves through a designated path to the temporary evacuation zone.

After the simulation, the authority and experts will have an assestment regarding the readiness of Padang in tsunami mitigation.

"For example, the nessecity to open more evacuation routes, as what I've seen during the simulation, they are still not enough," Furqon said.

A resident of Padang, Rifda (70), took part in the simulation and said that it was necessary.

"It really helpful to guide the society on facing the tsunami threat," Rifda said.

IOWave itself is a routine exercise held every two years by The Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWS).

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