Journal of Natural Disaster Science

CAUSES OF FATALITIES IN RECENT EARTHQUAKES IN JAPAN

Yoshimasa KOBAYASHI
Associate Professor, GeophYSical Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto

(Received 23 October, 1981 and in revised form 15 December, 1981)

Abstract

The death tolls in several destructive earthquakes since 1964 were investigated. The percentage of fatalities caused by slope hazards is more than 50% of the total deaths and that due to falling concrete walls and the like is about 17 %: whereas, fatalities due to the collapse of houses is barely 9%. Notable cases of death in each earthquake have been described in order to show special factors that must be considered. The ratios of houses destroyed to the fatalities incurred in earthquakes since 1872 are given. The meaning of this ratio is discussed in terms of the data for the 1923 Kanto and the 1927 Kitatango earthquakes.

Key words

earthquake, fatalities, mortality damage, slope hazards