Earthquake tragedies in China

This refers to the report, “367 killed in China quake” (August 4). Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed. There is technology to forecast storms and tsunamis, but none to forecast a quake. The Chinese have set up a space station and are planning to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars. The Chinese should also take the lead in developing technology to forecast earthquakes.

Advertisements for buildings should also state how far are those structures earthquake-proof, instead of giving superficial details about club house, glazed tiles etc. What is of prime importance for a buyer is his safety, when he is putting his lifelong earnings to buy a roof over his head. Japan can be a good source of knowledge to draw on while building earthquake-resistant buildings. The Fukushima tsunami-cum-earthquake in Japan saw that not even a single building collapsed in Tokyo, though the buildings were just swaying; that is because Japan has a strict building code.

Deendayal M. Lulla
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