Japanese earthquake expert surprised by lack of precautions

Civil engineer, architect, and earthquake expert Yoshinori Moriwaki stated that Turkey is the third country with the highest loss of life in earthquakes. Moriwaki met with students at the Conference on the Difference in Earthquakes Between Turkey and Japan, held at the Mimar Sinan Amphitheater of the Trakya University Faculty of Architecture.

Stating that earthquakes in Japan occur at sea while those in Turkey occur on land, Moriwaki said, "Japan was shaken by a magnitude 9 earthquake in 2011, the most severe, and the tsunami triggered by the earthquake. In Turkey, the most severe earthquake occurred in Erzincan in 1939 with a magnitude of 7.9. Many people lost their lives in both earthquakes. Turkey is the 17th country in the world with the most earthquakes, and Japan is the 6th, but the rate of those who lost their lives is the exact opposite." Moriwaki emphasized that Turkey is the third country with the highest loss of life in earthquakes, while Japan is the seventh.

Reminding that many people also lost their lives in the February 6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, he emphasized that everyone should not forget this reality. Touching upon the preparations and precautions to prevent loss of life in earthquakes, Moriwaki noted the following: "We must now learn the reality of earthquakes. It used to be said that there are no earthquakes in Konya, but now there are. Turkey's earthquake map is also red, just like Japan's. Let us not say 'God forbid, may an earthquake not come,' but rather 'God forbid, may there be little damage in an earthquake.' We must take precautions together, we must be prepared. When preparation for an earthquake is made and precautions are taken, damage and loss are 70 percent less. Isn't that a very important figure? Why aren't you doing it? An earthquake will happen one day, let's be ready for it. As Ahmet Mete Işıkara said, earthquakes do not kill, buildings kill; let's not forget this." Following his speech, Moriwaki chatted with students about the seismicity of Turkey.