Tokyo - More than 590,000 people Monday participated in
earthquake drills across Japan on a national quake preparedness day.
Heads of government ministries and agencies gathered at the prime
minister's office early Monday to discuss emergency measures and
responses on assumption that a mock magnitude-8.6 earthquake hit
western Japan.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told citizens to 'respond calmly to
this major disaster and cooperate to expedite rescuing people and put
out the fires.'
Led by Fukuda, a government investigation team was to visit
Kishiwada city in Osaka prefecture later in the day to observe a
joint earthquake drill involving nine municipalities from western and
central Japan.
In the drill, Japan's military, local police and firefighters were
expected to conduct a series of emergency responses including
rescuing victims from a derailed train and collapsed buildings.
In central Shizuoka province, more than 440,000 people
participated in disaster preparedness exercises where people rescued
victims from underneath rubble and made emergency escapes from
department stores and high-rise buildings.
In the northern province Miyagi, the drills involved elementary
and junior high school students, while local women's clubs organized
an open kitchen to distribute 5,000 rice balls.
The region was hit by a magnitude-7.2 earthquake on June 14, which
killed at least 13 and left 10 people missing.
Japan conducts annual nationwide earthquake drills on September 1
to commemorate the Greath Kanto Earthquake which hit Tokyo in 1923
and killed more than 140,000 people in the capital and the
surrounding region.
Being one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, Japanese
experts believe Japan is likely to be hit by another major earthquake
within the next 50 years, with the potential to kill thousands.
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