Japan's Quake: A Looming Crisis of Infrastructure and Resilience The devastating earthquake that struck southern Japan on Tuesday has left at least 13 people dead, hundreds injured, and thousands without power or shelter.
The focus is rightly on the rescue efforts and relief operations, but it's equally important to examine the underlying structural issues this disaster exposes.
The epicenter was near Kumamoto City, a major urban center with over 700,000 residents. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, roads buckled, and bridges lie collapsed across rivers.