@article{ref1,
title="Clinical features of disaster-associated direct deaths during recent inland earthquakes in Japan",
journal="Tohoku journal of experimental medicine",
year="2020",
author="Naito, Hisaki and Sueta, Daisuke and Nakayama, Hideki and Araki, Eiichi and Tanihara, Hidenobu and Kasaoka, Shunji and Tsujita, Kenichi",
volume="251",
number="3",
pages="169-173",
abstract="Natural disasters, including earthquakes, cause disaster-associated direct deaths due to hazards and disaster-related deaths. This study was a retrospective and observational study that explored the effect of natural disasters on direct death. Although research reports on disaster-related deaths are common, there are few reports of disaster-associated direct death caused by events, such as house collapses, fires, and sediment-related factors. The amendment of the Building Standards Law in 1981 has made Japanese building standards more stringent. We sought to examine the determinants of the number of disaster-associated direct deaths during recent inland earthquakes in Japan. Following 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes (April 14, 21:26 [magnitude (M) 6.5], April 15, 0:03 [M 6.4], and April 16, 1:25 [M 7.3] and the subsequent numerous aftershocks), police necropsies confirmed 50 disaster-associated direct deaths (28 women [56%]). Thirty-four victims (68%) were elderly people 65 years of age or older, and 38 victims (76%) died as a result of a collapsed house. These percentages are consistent with those associated with recent inland earthquake disasters in Japan. The main finding was a linear correlation between the number of completely collapsed houses and the number of deaths due to house collapse during recent inland earthquakes in Japan (P = 0.02). It is suggested that the maintenance of houses may be important in reducing the number of disaster-associated direct deaths during inland earthquakes. The amendment of the Building Standards Law might reduce the number of disaster-associated direct deaths during inland earthquakes.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0040-8727",
doi="10.1620/tjem.251.169",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1620/tjem.251.169"
}