Indonesia looks to mosque loudspeakers to double as earthquake warning systems

A five-year trial is assessing whether the loudspeakers used to broadcast the call to prayer can help to warn hard-to-reach territories

Scientists working on an early warning system in earthquake-prone Indonesia have taken the spiritual path to designing a network of alarms that will reach even the remotest communities: they hope to use mosques to save lives.

A five-year trial is assessing whether the ubiquitous loudspeakers used to broadcast the call to prayer can double up as warning klaxons for earthquakes.