News On Japan

40% of Buildings Deemed Unsafe in Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Ishikawa, Jan 23 (News On Japan) - In the aftermath of the Noto Peninsula earthquake, which recorded a maximum intensity of 7 in the Japanese seismic intensity scale, results from building safety assessments reveal that 40% of the structures are deemed too dangerous to enter.

Ishikawa Prefecture completed emergency risk assessments of buildings, including non-residential structures, upon requests from various municipalities.

The assessment, conducted across 11 municipalities in the prefecture, showed that out of the 31,600 buildings evaluated, about 12,600, accounting for 39.9%, were classified as 'unsafe to enter,' the highest risk level in the three-tier system.

This proportion significantly exceeds that of past earthquakes with an intensity of 7, such as the 12.3% in the Great East Japan Earthquake. A contributing factor appears to be the large number of buildings constructed before the 1981 revision of the Building Standards Act, which raised earthquake resistance requirements.

Source: TBS

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