Osaka city's earthquake preparedness improvement measures

In the early morning of January 17, 1995, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 oc curred, with its epicenter in Awaji Island, to the south of Kobe City locat ed near Osaka City. It was later named the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The earthquake left over 6,400 people dead and about 40,000 injured, comple tely destroying over 100,000 houses and buildings, causing about 300 fires, resulting in the suspension of such "lifelines" as city water, electricity , and gas supply, and halting transportation systems including road and rai lway traffic. It inflicted extensive damage not only on Kobe, but also on O saka and other cities. In the light of destruction caused by the earthquake, in 1997, the Osaka Mu nicipal Government, the Osaka City Regional Preparedness Plan, which includ es citizen evacuation in the event of earthquake, construction of seismic-r esistant facilities, and fire-fighting and other emergency activities. The original plan was prepared, on the basis of an inter-plate earthquake occur ring beneath the Pacific Ocean. In addition to this hypothesis, the new pla n also incorporates the assumption that an earthquake with its epicenter un der Osaka could occur due to movement of the Uemachi Faults running under t he central part of the City in the north-south direction. Estimated damage that could be incurred through this potential earthquake were used for the latter plan.