Earthquake engineering expert Dr Randolph Borg told The Malta Independent on Sunday that in general low buildings are more susceptible to damage during earthquakes than high-rise constructions.

Dr Borg has an MSc in earthquake engineering from ROSE School, Italy and a PhD from University College, London on how buildings and structures are affected during an earthquake.

“When it comes to how the buildings interact with an earthquake, one must take frequency into consideration. The effects earthquakes have on buildings are more serious on lower ones than higher ones”.

Dr Borg explained that it is difficult to reach a conclusion as to how much damage would occur should an earthquake similar to the recent one in Italy, strike Malta. “Proper studies would need to be conducted and I don’t know if they have been done locally. If one considers the typologies of buildings similar to ours in other countries that have been struck by such quakes, they did not perform very well.

“We have some experience from past earthquakes, such as one that occurred in 1693, but since that time the types of structures have changed, the typology geometry and materials have changed, making it difficult to predict the extent of such damage. If such an earthquake had to happen today, the damage would be extensive.”

Asked whether it is likely Malta would experience a major earthquake, Dr Borg said that these are phenomenon whose occurrence is measured based on probability, and this does not exclude it beyond concern. 

Malta falls between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. “Basically, the African plate is going over the Eurasian plate, and the latter is being squashed laterally. This is the result of the recent earthquake experienced in Italy,” he said.

Asked about precautions, he said that the question surrounds “how cautious one should be”? Someone could invest a lot of money in taking the necessary precautions and nothing would happen for 100 years. On the other hand, someone might not invest at all and an incident could happen tomorrow. One has to look at the calculated risk of having a disaster, depending on the hazard itself, vulnerability of buildings as well as the social and economic reactions, the quantity exposed, and ability to remain resilient.”

As for tactics people should employ in case of an earthquake, he said that the important thing is to keep calm. “If you are outside, stay there and away from buildings. If you are inside, stay under a desk or against an interior wall not an exterior one.”