Posted on 04/14/2016 10:09:36 PM PDT by Innovative
A STRONG earthquake has hit southwestern Japan, bringing down buildings, killing at least nine people and injuring hundreds, as rescuers scramble to find residents feared trapped in rubble.
Eight of the dead were from the hardest-hit town of Mashiki, about 15km east of Kumamoto city on the island of Kyushu.
The initial 6.5-magnitude quake struck at 9.26pm (10.20pm AEST) at a depth of 11km near Kumamoto city on the island of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
There was no tsunami risk.
More than 100 aftershocks strong enough to be felt followed in the same region.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Heartbreaking losses. I can’t imagine what the toll would be in a third world country, with such flimsy housing.
“Aftershocks were likely to continue for about a week, officials said.”
We had one here about 18 months ago that was 7.5+ nobody died. It is all in the building codes
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/7-1-magnitude-earthquake-hits-pacific-island-guam-no-tsunami-alert-609291
They lowered the strength to 7.1
Japan knows how to build for big quakes. But Nepal, just last year, now you’re talking real disaster. 8,000 dead and 21,000 injured in a 7.8 which is definitely huge.
I’ve been in two 6.1s and I pushed girls out of my way to hide...
at least you’re honest!! Nepal, wow, what a beating.
“I’ve been in two 6.1s and I pushed girls out of my way to hide...”
I was riding a bicycle when the 7.1 one hit here. That was fun!
The damage is also affected by the depth of the quake, as well as the land structure.
Some EQ’s leave devastating damage with a 5.1 quake. We had one in my area but only minor damage happened, mostly some cracks here and there.
I watched my walls and balcony rise up and down as well as shake side to side, but the worst damage in the building was the kitchen sink areas pulling from the walls a little, just enough to split the calking, and raise a few nails on the steps leading up to the balcony. And this is an old building, built in the 50’s and not for an earth quake prone area.
So ya, many different factors affect the types and severity of damage even at the same rating.
Guam?
Yes Guam
The not quite jewel of the Pacific. “Where America’s Day Begins”
That area has a lot of quakes. I was stationed on Okino Euraba Shima in the late 60s. We had a quake about every week, some were strong enough to make high waves in the asphalt road.
Remember what happened in Haiti in 2010 and the historic city of Bam in Iran in 2003—shocking casualty tolls because the buildings were nowhere near earthquake proof (Bam due to the fact most buildings were made of mud brick and Haiti because almost every building in Port-au-Prince were nowhere meeting seismic safety standards).
A SECOND quake today in the same province. This one 7.1 and a tsunami warning, 1 meter.
Tectonic plates grinding together, as they have for billions of years. But now we are around to notice it.
Tsunami expected according to what I just heard on the radio. They’re afraid these last two quakes are foreshocks for a really big one. Hope not.
Can’t wait til obama says it’s because of the bomb. It’a all our fault.
They are nervously watching volcanoes in Japan as well.
Mount Aso, which is Japan’s largest active volcano, is in the same province not far from the epicenters.
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