Do You Have an Emergency Bag Packed?
May 2025
IT IS ALL over the news—the recent 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked central Myanmar, its ripples shaking the foundations of Bangkok. Everyone gasped in horror as they watched the Bangkok skyscraper, still under construction, collapse like a house of cards shared all over social media. Beyond the visible disaster, the devastation in Myanmar saw more than 3,000 lives lost and another 4,500 injured. The sheer scale of the disaster left many homeless without access to basic necessities and adequate healthcare.
Then, a major explosion caused by a gas pipeline fire occurred at Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor. It caused an inferno that saw flames reach over 30m high and temperatures exceeding 1,000°C, taking almost eight hours for the fire brigade to extinguish. Many rushed out of their homes with just the clothes on their back and one reportedly only brought her passport.[1] The catastrophe left 81 houses destroyed with structural damage exceeding 40%, another 81 partially destroyed and 57 affected but not burned.
A month earlier, a tornado-like twister hit Sekinchan, destroying eight houses. This unusual phenomenon, believed to be caused by unstable atmospheric conditions leading to intense thunderstorms, strong wind, and deluge, may happen more frequently with worsening global warming.[2]
It is evident that we are at the mercy of the elements—we’ve seen it with the tsunami in 2004 and we continue to be witnesses of natural (and unnatural) disasters today. These happenings beg the question: Are we ready when tragedy strikes?
One way to be “ready”—though no one will ever be really ready—is by having an emergency bag on standby with the needed essentials to grab and go if disaster strikes. We asked our subscribers and social media followers if they have an emergency bag packed at home and here are the results. Penang Monthly will cover what should be included in an emergency bag in next month’s issue. For more on our polls and to know more about Penang Monthly’s involvement with the community, follow us on our Facebook and Instagram.
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