12000 more buildings 'dangerous' in Japan's quake-ravaged southwest, Abe calls for swift financial aid

Japan's Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry said Saturday that according to municipal reports more than 12,000 private residences and other buildings were considered to be "dangerous" and at risk of collapsing in regions reeling after powerful quakes battered southwest Japan earlier this month.

The land ministry, local media reported, said that it had gathered reports from local governments in Kumamoto Prefecture, the region that was hit by 6.5 and 7.3 magnitude quakes on April 14 and 16 respectively, claiming the lives of 49 people, and found that of 43,000 buildings monitored, 12,013 of them were found to be "dangerous."

The report found that after the two major quakes and the hundreds of aftershocks that have exacerbated conditions in Japan's southwest, the buildings deemed to be dangerous could collapse after further aftershocks, which continue to still regularly rock the region.

Following the March 2011 megaquake that struck Japan's eastern seaboard, around 11,700 homes and buildings were similarly declared dangerous, although officials have highlighted the fact that the situations in Tohoku and Kyushu were largely different and somewhat difficult to compare, due to the former region also being devastated by a killer tsunami that swept thousands of homes and buildings away.

As the Kumamoto and surrounding areas continue to be jolted by regular aftershocks, with seismologists confirming that fault lines responsible for the major quake are still active, ensuring that tens of thousands cannot return to their homes due to them being destroyed or in the "dangerous" category, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday said that financial provisions being allocated and reaching the quake-hit regions need to be stepped up.

He told relevant Cabinet ministers to ensure that enough funds were allocated to the region, as well as necessary measures to support employment in the region and support provided for local businesses that have failed or are struggling in the southwest.

Speaking at a task force meeting convened to further discuss the central government's response to the crisis, Abe confirmed an extra budget will be used and allocated for reconstruction and revitalization of the battered region.

Abe called upon the central government to liaise with local municipalities and determine the exact needs at a local level and ensure that the appropriate provisions are made, such as financial support for businesses and a reduction or exemption of business loans in some situations.

Bearing in mind the incomprehensible situation and suffering of the people in the southwest, Abe said that he wanted the relevant ministers to act swiftly to help rebuild both lives and services in the region.

Abe confirmed Wednesday an extra budget for 2016 will be approved next month to make provisions to deal with the ever-increasing fallout following powerful earthquakes rocking the nation's southwest.

Senior officials from Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition ally Komeito party said they planned to get the budget passed through the Diet with cooperation from opposition parties on May 17, once it's submitted.

A local business cooperative leader said the central government's assistance would be essential for the restoration and revitalization of the quake-ravaged region.

"Reconstruction of quake-hit areas centering on Kumamoto and Oita prefectures will not be possible without the support of the government," said Yutaka Aso, chairman of the Kyushu Economic Federation.

"We would like the government to take initiatives such as compiling a budget," Aso was quoted as saying, at a conference Abe was attending.

The prime minister said that all out efforts would be made to help small and medium-sized businesses to get back on their feet, as well as ensuring the region's agricultural and tourist industries are also supported.

The extra budget, the government indicated earlier this month, may come from reserve funds to the tune of 350 billion yen (3.29 billion U.S. dollars), which may be made available for costs associated to the quake-hit regions' restoration.

"Taking into account the prime minister's instructions, the government would like to make use of this reserved fund. The government will firmly support disaster-hit local authorities on the fiscal front," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Japan's top government spokesperson, previously told a press briefing.

Source: XINHUA