Japan needs post-Kumamoto quake overhaul after factory damage, gas blast

Japan's Post-Quake Overhaul Needs to be Comprehensive

The recent earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture has highlighted the need for Japan to improve its disaster preparedness measures. The quake caused significant damage to buildings and infrastructure, including a factory and a shopping mall, and has raised concerns about the safety of liquefied petroleum gas use in large facilities.

The central government should order a comprehensive inspection to confirm whether adequate seismic measures are in place. At the same time, the central government should survey actual liquefied petroleum gas use to confirm its safety at other large facilities that draw big crowds, and it should also check gas safety measures for earthquakes as well as evacuation guidance including calls to head outdoors as soon as the shaking subsides.

Expressway Safety Measures Need to be Reviewed

On some expressway sections, damaged bridges forced closures, likely due to strong temblor or fault displacement. The 1995 earthquake that rattled Kobe in western Japan toppled elevated structures on the Hanshin Expressway and knocked down bridge girders, and countermeasures such as strengthening bridge piers and wiring girders to prevent falls have been adopted. Whether those measures proved effective this time needs to be reviewed, as expressways serve as a last line for emergency transport and relief logistics after major quakes.

Hospitals Need to be Prepared for Disaster

Three hospitals, including Kumamotominami Hospital in Uki, suffered major damage, prompting inter-hospital transfers in which other hospitals took in inpatients. We must not forget that the burden of moving patients can worsen their condition and lead to disaster-related deaths. While hub hospitals, which accept emergency patients, have advanced anti-quake measures, it is necessary to investigate whether other hospitals are sufficiently prepared.