In most cases, when a strong earthquake occurs, many people die as buildings collapse. For example, in the Kobe earthquake, more than 90% of the 5,000 people who died lost their lives within 15 minutes immediately after the quake. For this reason, it is essential to build buildings well to reduce the number of people who die in earthquakes. This will prevent fires, make it less likely that people will lose their homes and become permanent refugees, and reduce the problems of relief and rebuilding.
In developing countries, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, earthquakes cause many deaths. In such areas, sun-dried bricks called “adobe” are common building materials, and buildings made of these bricks often collapse easily in earthquakes, burying many people alive. In developing countries, for economic reasons, standards for building earthquake-resistant buildings are usually low, and construction is often inadequate. Therefore, even earthquakes that are not strong can easily cause severe damage. In addition, in regions with many wooden houses, such as Central America and Southeast Asia, buildings can collapse and catch fire.
