Unstoppable Quake

Kumamoto keeps on shaking. Forty-two people were killed by Monday morning and about two hundred thousand people evacuated their houses that were too vulnerable for consecutive quakes to stay comfortably. Active rift that caused these great quakes appeared on the ground surface. Japanese government asked United States Force help for searching missing people. Emergency is ongoing.

The greatest distinction of this Kumamoro earthquake from previous quakes is prolonged aftershocks. Twenty-six hours after the first major quake, there occurred the main earthquake around Kumamoto city with magnitude 7.3, which could be paralleled with Hanshin Great Earthquake in 1995. Over five hundreds earthquakes were detected in four and a half days.

People in Kumamoto are living in fear. They have to be careful about ceilings that can be falling down in any single quake. Most victims died not because of tsunami or broken nuclear reactor, but because of collapse of house or landslide. So, a number of people stay in their cars, evacuating their houses. In school buildings or public facilities, which are designated to be their shelter, people are hugging each other or embracing their children, whenever they felt an earthquake.

Those consecutive quakes come from active rift running close to Kumamoto, called Futagawa Rift Belt. After the main quake on Friday, there appeared an obvious crack on the rice pad in Mashiki, located in the suburb of Kumamoto city. Planted rice grasses were moved by the quake and apparent gap of rows is seen on the soil. According to the experts in Geospatial Information Authority, Futagawa Rift Belt made 3.5 meters of gap in the area of 27 kilometers of length and 12 kilometers of width.

Minister of Defense, Gen Nakatani, announced that Japanese government would accept the offer from United States to use MV-22 Osprey for rescuing operation and transportation of necessary goods. Although Osprey has been controversial aircraft deployed in Okinawa, Nakatani emphasized the high quality of Osprey in terms of aviation. Japanese government also decided to call up Reserve Self-defense Officials to help JSDF efforts. Shinzo Abe administration looks like relying on military power.

But, the evacuees are getting frustrated with delay of supply of water or sanitary items. Land transportation is out of order, making tracks difficult in approaching suffered area. There are other missing people under collapsed houses or crushed land. It is possible that the earthquake is going to affect Abe’s decision over having simultaneous election of both Houses in this summer.