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Japan mourns victims of 1995 Kobe quake
January 17, 1997
Web posted at: 4:30 p.m. EST
( 2130 GMT)KOBE, Japan (CNN) -- On the second anniversary of the powerful earthquake that killed more than 6,400 people, Japanese on Friday paused to remember the victims.
Early morning commuters prayed silently on trains. Mourners at a dawn vigil lit candles in honor of those killed. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto told residents that reconstruction was entering a "serious" phase.
Hashimoto and most members of his Cabinet attended somber ceremonies in the port city of Kobe, where the magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit on January 17, 1995. The quake, known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, was Japan's worst natural disaster in about 70 years.
Hashimoto's visit came amid criticism of government efforts to help the poorest victims. Nearly 80 percent of what was damaged or destroyed has been rebuilt, but thousands of people still live in temporary shelters.
In a speech during a memorial ceremony, Hashimoto appeared to admit that more needed to be done for homeless victims.
"Thanks to the efforts of the local community and others involved, the reconstruction process has now entered the phase of serious rebuilding. But it is also true that 40,000 families still reside in temporary housing," Hashimoto said.
The quake and resulting fires not only killed thousands but damaged or destroyed more than 400,000 homes and injured 40,000 people.
At one ceremony Friday, candles were lit for each of the 6,425 dead. The candles were then arranged on the ground to represent a map of the world.
Helping the homeless
City officials in Kobe say nearly 70,000 people are in the families still living in temporary housing or with relatives.
"Most of them lead lives of uncertainty with poor prospects of finding new homes or jobs," the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper wrote in an editorial.
One victim told CNN: "If they don't give me a home, I don't know where I'll go."
Under a plan to help people who cannot afford to rebuild their old homes or move elsewhere, new government-funded homes are allocated by regularly held lotteries as the homes are built.
But the pace of building has not kept up with demand and some homeless, mainly the elderly, cannot afford the cost of maintaining a home even if they are awarded one.
Correspondent May Lee andReuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Kobe mourns and struggles - January 17, 1996
- One year after earthquake, Kobe slowly rebuilding - January 16, 1996
- Japan fearful of re-energized "Ring of Fire" - October 29, 1995
Related sites:
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- The January 17, 1995 Kobe Earthquake - EQE
- Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo
- Seismology Resources on the Internet
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