On 17 January 1995, a big earthquake, registering magnitude 7.2 on the
Richter scale hit the western part of Japan, claiming 6,048 lives, in
juring at least 34 900 people, and destroying properties and infrastru
ctures, causing an estimated damage of between 95 to 140 billion U.S.
dollars. This paper gives a detailed description of the disaster and a
ttempts to provide a scientific explanation to the disaster.