Emergencies Ministry installs warning sirens at 272 mosques in seven provinces
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**Emergencies Ministry installs warning sirens at 272 mosques in seven provinces**
The Emergencies Ministry has placed warning sirens at 272 mosques in seven provinces as part of efforts to expand its early warning system, the ministry’s press service said.
The equipment allows the ministry’s emergency alerts to be broadcast through the mosques’ external loudspeakers. The devices have been installed in Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Namangan, Samarkand, Syrdarya, Tashkent and Fergana provinces, which are considered highly exposed to natural hazards.
A ministry official said the initiative is being implemented under a joint project of the ministry and the United Nations Development Programme. Information about the installations and testing had circulated on social media.
According to the ministry, alerts sent through mosques can reach about 6.5 million people, including women, men, children and vulnerable groups. The system also functions if mobile communications or the power supply are interrupted.
“The choice of mosques is no accident: they are traditionally regarded as influential social institutions among local residents,” a ministry press service employee said. “The earthquake resistance of mosques is also taken into account when they are built.”
The ministry is also working to establish a system for informing residents about emergency risks across all regions of the country.
Earlier, a fire was reported in the dome of a new mosque under construction in Tashkent.