MEDAN - Kabar gempa yang simultan terjadi di Sumatera ternyata sampai ke mancanegara. Bahkan, sejumlah geolog asal Jepang tertarik ingin melakukan penelitian di Sumatera Utara.

"Ada 10 ahli geologi asal Jepang yang sudah turun ke lokasi gempa. Mereka tertarik dan ingin mempelajari lebih lanjut kenapa belakangan ini gempa sering terjadi di Sumatera Utara," kata Kepala Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) Sumut, Riadil Akhir Lubis, Rabu (15/2/2017).

Menurut Riadil, kedatangan ahli geologi asal Jepang ini cukup membantu tim pemantau gempa bumi di Sumatera Utara.

Para peniliti dari Sumatera Utara bisa berbagi ilmu dan informasi menyangkut antisipasi bencana gempa.

"Tentu kedatangan para geolog ini bisa memperkaya informasi menyangkut ilmu lempeng bumi bagi geolog di Sumatera. Kita juga dapat belajar, bagaimana menghadapi gempa bumi jika getarannya berkekuatan cukup besar," ungkap Riadil.

Sementara itu, tim Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG) Wilayah I Medan turut mengirimkan tim analisisnya ke kawasan Tanah Karo, tepat di titik gempa. Mereka juga membawa suatu alat untuk mengukur aktivitas seismik di lokasi pusat gempa.

sumber: TRIBUN-MEDAN.com

With Japan's track record of natural disasters, the country is understandably always on the lookout for ways to better prepare itself.

Japan is now looking to the skies, working to develop drones to help out in the case of an earthquake or other trouble.

The country last week trialled special drones mounted with speaker systems that can direct citizens to nearby evacuation areas, reports Jiji Press. These busy bees also monitor wind speeds around skyscrapers, taking images of the streets below.

With GPS built into the devices, self-flying was also tested, with the drones moving along set flight paths through the high-rise area.

The trials took place in Shinjuku, a highly populated area in Tokyo, with radio channels built specially for the test.

It's not the first attempt by Japan to use new tech for disaster prevention -- a university in the country last year looked to Oculus Rift to train citizens on how to act in the case of a tsunami, for instance. Meanwhile, drones last were in the spotlight at the Super Bowl, when Intel-powered drones lit the sky up.