[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     THE TRAGIC EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Combest). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from California [Ms.  Pelosi] is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, my district in San Francisco, indeed the 
entire State of California, is blessed with a very large Japanese-
American population. On behalf of my constituents, the Japanese-
Americans, and indeed all of them, I rise today to extend my sympathies 
to the people of Japan now that we are in day 7 of the tragedy that 
struck Kobe last week.
  As you know, last Tuesday Japan was struck by the deadliest quake in 
more than 70 years. Today's AP wire has an update on some of the tragic 
statistics. The death toll is topping 5,000, with more than 100 people 
still listed as missing. More than 26,00 people were injured, 300,000 
people were left homeless, and 56,000 buildings were damaged or 
destroyed. There are 1,000 relief centers trying to house the 300,000 
people left homeless. Indeed 2 million survivors of the earthquake in 
that area have been impacted very negatively as well.
  Mr. Speaker, today, Monday in Japan almost yesterday now, there have 
been strong aftershocks in buildings in Japan. They had three 
aftershocks at about 4.0, and I have been told aftershocks of up to 6 
points on the Richter scale are possible.
  In addition to that, there is the physical toll, in addition the 
personal toll. Japan has different construction standards for highways 
and for buildings. The huge pillars supporting raised roads consisted 
of concrete cores surrounded by vertical steel rods that are then 
wrapped with vertical steel hoops and surrounded by another coat of 
concrete.
  Mr. Speaker, just as a sign of how fierce this earthquake was in 
Kobe, many of the structures ruptured and the reinforcing rods snapped 
like matchsticks.
  The economic toll is great. Kobe is a major manufacturing center, the 
country's busiest container shipping port and an important 
transportation hub for moving component parts to factories throughout 
Japan and abroad. That is having a tremendous impact on the economy 
there.
  Estimates of the economic impact vary widely. The Transport Ministry 
estimated it would cost $4.12 billion to repair damaged railway lines 
and stations alone. The head of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce 
estimated the overall cost of the quake would amount to more than $100 
billion.
  Of course, these are staggering statistics, but the worst of all is, 
of course, the personal toll. Today's AP wire carries a story about a 
father who lost his daughter in the earthquake. He says, ``My 
daughter's voice, `Dad, dad, please help me,' sticks in my ear.'' He 
lost his teenage daughter when their house collapsed. ``It just doesn't 
go away,'' he said. ``I just couldn't save her.''
  Mr. Speaker, that is just one of many, many similar stories. Another, 
of a young man whose house collapsed, his mother was in the house. The 
neighbors and others decided to help where they heard voices, and they 
were able to save the lives of some. But since they heard no sounds 
coming from his house, that did not become a priority, and his mother--
he said, ``I wanted to save my mother, but was not able to.''
  The list of these stories goes on and on.
  So. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sorrow--of course, in our area, Mr. 
Speaker, we had the experience 5 years ago of the Loma Prieta 
earthquake in San Francisco, and just eerily, just 1 year before this 
earthquake, the Northridge earthquake shook Los Angeles. So we all have 
our own memories of personal devastation and personal loss from 
earthquakes. That is why we have so much sympathy for those in Japan.
  It is with great sorrow I convey on behalf my constituents, both 
Japanese-Americans and others as well, to the Japanese ambassador the 
condolences of the people of San Francisco and wish for him to convey 
our condolences to the people of Japan, especially those affected by 
the earthquake, but to all the people of that area. They must be 
assured that they are in our prayers.


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