After the quake: Here are a few things to keep in mind after an earthquake. The caution you display in the aftermath can be essential for your personal safety:

	·       Wear shoes/chappals to protect your feet from debris.
	·       After the first tremor, be prepared for aftershocks.  Though less intense, aftershocks cause additional damages and may bring down weakened structures. Aftershocks can occur in the first hours, days, weeks, or even months after the quake.
	·       Check for fire hazards and use torchlights instead of candles or lanterns.
	·       If the building you live in is in a good shape after the earthquake, stay inside and listen for radio advises. If you are not certain about the damage to your building, evacuate carefully. Do not touch downed power line.
	·       Help injured or trapped persons. Give first aid where appropriate. Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. In such cases, call for help.

FIRE ACCIDENTS :

FIRE ACCIDENTS :

SAFETY TIPS ON FIRE ACCIDENTS

If smoke is in your apartment:

	·   Stay low to the floor under the smoke.
	·   Call the Fire Emergency Number which should be pasted near your telephone along with police and other emergency services and let them know that you are trapped by smoke.
	·   If you have a balcony and there is no fire below it, go out.
	·   If there is fire below, go out to the window. DO NOT OPEN THE WINDOW but stay near the window.

Kitchen Fires:

It is important to know what kind of stove or cooking oven you have in your home – gas, electric, kerosene or where firewood is used. The stove is the No. 1 cause of fire hazards in your kitchen and can cause fires, which may destroy the entire house, especially in rural areas where there are thatched roof or other inflammable materials like straw kept near the kitchen. For electric and gas stoves ensure that the switch or the gas valve is switched off/turned off immediately after the cooking is over. An electric burner remains hot and until it cools off, it can be very dangerous. The oven using wood can be dangerous because burning embers remain. When lighting the fire on a wooden fuel oven, keep a cover on the top while lighting the oven so that sparks do not fly to the thatched roof. After the cooking is over, ensure that the remaining fire is extinguished off by sprinkling water if no adult remains in the kitchen after the cooking. Do not keep any inflammable article like kerosene near the kitchen fire.

 Important Do’s in the Kitchen:

	Ø Do have an adult always present when cooking is going on the kitchen. Children should not be allowed alone.
	Ø Do keep hair tied back and do not wear synthetic clothes when you are cooking.
	Ø Do make sure that the curtains on the window near the stove are tied back and will not blow on to the flame or burner.
	Ø Do check to make sure that the gas burner is turned off immediately if the fire is not ignited and also switched off immediately after cooking.

 Important Don’ts in the Kitchen:

	Ø Don’t put towels, or dishrags near a stove burner.
	Ø Don’t wear loose fitting clothes when you cook, and don’t reach across the top of the stove when you are cooking.
	Ø Don’t put things in the cabinets or shelves above the stove. Young children may try to reach them and accidentally start the burners, start a fire, catch on fire.
	Ø Don’t store spray cans or cans carrying inflammable items near the stove.