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Quake reminds Tokyo of disaster

Quake reminds Tokyo of disaster

TOKYO – Despite efforts by Tokyo to prepare for a powerful earthquake like the one that hit central Japan on Sunday, thousands are likely to die in a tremor that experts say could hit one of the world’s biggest cities at any time.

Forecasts of casualties in a major quake in Tokyo vary wildly. A January estimate by the city government put the number of dead at a few thousand, while a 2004 study by insurer Munich Re said hundreds of thousands could die and damage would run into trillions of dollars.”It would not be surprising for a major quake to happen anywhere in Japan at any time,” the Nikkei business daily said in an editorial on Monday.”This quake reminds us that it is not only local governments but individuals who must prepare.”Large areas of tightly packed wooden houses vulnerable to fire remain on the outskirts of the city, although many such homes have been replaced with concrete buildings in recent years, meaning casualties would likely be far lower than in the capital’s last major earthquake some 84 years ago.The Great Kanto earthquake of September 1, 1923, killed more than 140 000 people, many being burned to death in fires set off as the tremor hit while they were cooking lunch.Nampa-ReutersA January estimate by the city government put the number of dead at a few thousand, while a 2004 study by insurer Munich Re said hundreds of thousands could die and damage would run into trillions of dollars.”It would not be surprising for a major quake to happen anywhere in Japan at any time,” the Nikkei business daily said in an editorial on Monday.”This quake reminds us that it is not only local governments but individuals who must prepare.”Large areas of tightly packed wooden houses vulnerable to fire remain on the outskirts of the city, although many such homes have been replaced with concrete buildings in recent years, meaning casualties would likely be far lower than in the capital’s last major earthquake some 84 years ago.The Great Kanto earthquake of September 1, 1923, killed more than 140 000 people, many being burned to death in fires set off as the tremor hit while they were cooking lunch.Nampa-Reuters

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