Japan: Quake destruction less than in past

TOKYO, June 22 (UPI) -- A 7.2-magnitude earthquake in northeastern Japan caused significantly less damage than earlier quakes in the Asian country, officials say.

Four buildings were leveled in the June 14 quake, compared to 3,175 buildings that fell in the 2004 Niigata prefecture Chuetsu earthquake, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

"There could have been much more damage if the focus and the soil, which affect the frequency of the seismic waves, had been different. This doesn't reduce the need to improve quake-resistance as quickly as possible," Tohoku University Associate Professor Takeshi Sato said.

Forty-five buildings out of 1,106 surveyed in Oshu after the quake were found to be in danger of falling. A total of 249 were under caution and 812 were found to be out of danger.

In Kurihara and Misatomachi, 191 buildings were found to be in danger, while 518 were under caution and 2,173 were safe, the report said.