Facts about Kobe Earthquake (Great Hanshin Earthquake)

The Kobe earthquake, also known as the Great Hanshin earthquake, was an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale that rocked the Hyogo Prefecture region in Japan. The Kobe earthquake belonged to the category of 'inland shallow earthquakes', which occur along the active faults. As their hypocenters are located less than 20 km below surface, they are highly destructive even at low magnitudes.

Facts about Kobe Earthquake

• The earthquake occurred on 17th January, 1995, at 5:46 am Japan Standard Time.
• It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale, and Mj 7.3 on the revised JMA magnitude scale used by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
• The epicenter of the earthquake was located, approximately 20 km away from Kobe, on the northern end of Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture.
• Lasting for about 20 seconds, the earthquake led to 18 cm horizontal and 12 cm vertical movement of land.
• The city of Kobe, with a population of 1.5 million, was the closest to the epicenter. Due to its proximity, it was the worst affected Japanese city.
• According to the final estimates, 6,434 people were killed, while 300,000 were left homeless due to this natural disaster. Of the 6,434 people who lost their lives, 4,600 were from Kobe.
• This was the first earthquake that recorded a seismic intensity of 7 on the shindo magnitude scale that is used by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
• The tremors were felt all over the Kansai region. Kobe, Ashiya, Takarazuka, Hokudan, Ichinomiya and Awaji City (Tsuna) recorded a seismic intensity of shindo 7, Sumoto and Kobe recorded a seismic intensity of shindo 6, Kyoto, Hikone and Toyooka recorded a seismic intensity of shindo 5 and Fukui, Gifu, Hiroshima and Okayama recorded a seismic intensity of shindo 4.
• The earthquake was preceded by four foreshocks, the largest being of Mj 3.7; and followed by approximately 50 aftershocks of Mj 4.0 or more, within one week.
• A one kilometer long stretch of the Hanshin Expressway, 200,000 buildings and 120 out of the 150 quays, (wharfs built parallel to the shoreline) were destroyed due to the quake.
• According to the estimates, one in every five buildings in the worst affected area, was totally destroyed.
• The horizontal displacement along the activated tectonic fault caused the Akashi Kaikyo bridge, being constructed near Awaji Island, to lengthen by a meter.
• The artificial islands in the Port of Kobe caved in, due to the sudden physical force.
• Transport and electricity were disrupted for a few days following the disaster. Only 30% of the rail lines on the Osaka Kobe rail network were functional.
• Around 1.2 million volunteers participated in the relief work, for the first three months following the disaster.
• Big retail firms like Daiei and 7-Eleven used their existing supplies to provide basic necessities to affected people. Mobile networks such as NTT and Motorola provided free telephone service to the people.
• The earthquake gave a major jolt to the Japanese economy. The damage was estimated around $102.5 billion. It was followed by a major decline in the Japanese Stock Markets, Nikkei 225 dropped by a thousand points the following day.
• The Kobe earthquake has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records, as the 'costliest natural disaster to befall any one country.'
• The earthquake triggered economic disaster for the citizens, as only 3% of the total property in Kobe was insured.
• In 1995, the authorities declared 17th January as a National Disaster Prevention and Volunteerism Day, while the week from 15th January to 21st January as the National Disaster Prevention and Volunteerism Week.
• A memorial representing the date of this natural calamity, 1.17, is illuminated at Higashi Yuenchi Park, next to Kobe City Hall on the 17th of January every year.

Even after 13 years, Japan has not been able to recover from this natural calamity. Efforts are being undertaken to improve the accuracy of earthquake forecasting and build structures that can withstand such natural disasters. But, nature has always been one step ahead of mankind in creation as well as destruction.