Third of Japan school buildings vulnerable to quake

TOKYO, June 9 (Reuters) Over a third of Japanese public elementary and junior high school buildings are unable to withstand earthquakes, an education ministry research in one of the world's most quake-prone countries has found.

The report released yesterday said 34.8 per cent of 129,559 school buildings were not quake-resistant. The figure excludes 8,595 buildings that had yet to be checked as of April 1.

The report also found that of the total, 4,328 buildings were at risk of collapsing when struck by a strong earthquake.

The ministry said it would check the remaining buildings and start re-construction on vulnerable ones as soon as possible, adding that the safety of school buildings was important since many were earmarked as evacuation centres in times of disaster.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

REUTERS GT BD1000