Wearing a mask, protective glasses and walking behind a green line painted on the floor were the instructions given to the students of the Juan de Salinas Educational Unit, in the Rumiñahui canton, 30 minutes from Quito.
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They were part of the third drill for the eruptive process of the Cotopaxi volcano.
Fifteen days ago, in the Chillos valley, there were two drills in which the commercial sector and residents of Miravalle participated.
At 10:00 this Wednesday, around 2,000 students from that educational unit left their establishment and went to an area considered safe, a green space of the Rumiñahui Technological Institute.
Other educational institutions went to the Aurelio Naranjo urbanization and to the César Chiriboga square, in the center of Sangolquí.
‘The main idea is to carry out mitigation works to stop the phenomenon near the volcano’: Theofilos Toulkeridis talks about the activity of Cotopaxi
After the drill, Fausto Hidalgo, director of Risk Management of the Municipality of Rumiñahui, when making an evaluation, indicated that the response times of arrival at the safe zone were measured.
A first group of students from Juan de Salinas arrived after 6 minutes and the last one at 22.
The optimal time, he added, should be between 12 and 18 minutes.
Two scenarios are being worked on: one, of progressive activity of the volcano, and of a sudden event where they should go to high places and the parents withdraw their children.
The students also carried a protection kit in backpacks with water, fruit, a mask and swimming goggles.
When they arrived at the place, they sat in circles and took their assistance.
500 people participated in a drill in Quito due to the eruptive activity of the Cotopaxi volcano; there were complaints and recommendations from the public
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Paula Paguay, a ninth-year student from the Juan de Salinas Educational Unit, who participated in the drill, suggested that the safe site should have a roof to protect itself from abundant ash fallout.
This exercise will be repeated once a month, and within the educational entity, twice a month.
The mayor of Rumiñahui, Wilfrido Carrera, mentioned that some 32,000 people live in sectors that could be affected, and of these, 18,000 are students.
“Any Ecuadorian government and citizens should be prepared for an imminent strong eruption of the Cotopaxi volcano”
This Thursday the 9th there will be another drill, but in the province of Cotopaxi with 24 rural educational institutions.
Shirley Criollo, national director of Risk Management of the Ministry of Education, mentioned that there are 377 educational institutions that would be exposed to ash fall, lahar flows and pyroclastic flows in the provinces of Napo, Pichincha and Cotopaxi, while in Rumiñahui there are 22.
With 22,000 students – added Criollo – drill exercises are carried out during this year. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
