r/WTF • u/porcupine9 • 9d ago

Skyscraper swimming pool during Myanmar earthquake

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u/WardenWolf 8d ago edited 8d ago

You were probably in the safest place you could have been; a modern highrise is probably designed to be earthquake resistant.

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u/Jarl_Korr 8d ago

I assume an empty field would be the safest place during an earthquake

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u/theHonkiforium 8d ago

In an area of the world that's not experiencing said earthquake

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u/Cosmic_Quasar 7d ago

A new sinkhole appears

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u/kat_Folland 7d ago

As long as it isn't right next to the actual fault line.

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u/Aetheus 8d ago

In countries that experience frequent earthquakes, maybe, since regulations would be in place for this sort of thing. If I lived in Tokyo or something, sure, I'd trust that the building I'm in was built with earthquake resistance in mind.

In countries that rarely / never experience earthquakes? Terrifying. The building could have been built 20-30 years ago. Who knows what earthquake regulations (if any) existed back then for construction.

Worse - most of the highrises in Bangkok might not have toppled over, but who knows how structurally sound they are, now? My heart goes out to Thai condo owners. Next couple of years are going to be rough.

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u/Hyper_Wave 8d ago

This is correct. High-rises are supposed to sway during an earthquake. A flexible foundation keeps the building's structure from crumbling.