The 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes Landslide Disasters and Response

The earthquake with a seismic intensity of seven hit Kumamoto Prefecture twice in April 2016, and caused immense damage in the prefecture. It brought about 158 sediment disasters which included slope failure and landslides, and 246 people died, (which includes the number of those who died of disaster related-death). Furthermore, as the slope in the affected area was loosened, the secondary disasters which might be caused by a rain were likely to occur. Therefore, Kumamoto Prefectural Government adopted various measures, and applied the Provisional Sediment Disaster Warning Standard, for instance, to prevent and mitigate damage from secondary disasters. Kumamoto Prefectural Government is now providing permanent measures to the affected locations to accelerate the recovery to ensure safety and security of the residents.