Earthquake in Japan: displaced put in prison for their safety

About 250 residents housed in Kumamoto prison, almost untouched by the recent earthquakes and equipped with emergency generators. They will sleep in the warders gym. The death toll rises 44 and 100 thousand people are living in emergency shelters.

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Earthquake in Japan: displaced put in prison for their safety


About 250 residents housed in Kumamoto prison, almost untouched by the recent earthquakes and equipped with emergency generators. They will sleep in the warders gym. The death toll rises 44 and 100 thousand people are living in emergency shelters.

 

Kumamoto (AsiaNews) - Going to jail not to serve a sentence but to find refuge. That's what is happening in these hours to several hundred victims of the double earthquake that struck the island of Kyushu (southwest), within 48 hours on April 14 and 16 last. The Japanese authorities have decided to host some residents in Kumamoto prison, whose structure was not seriously damaged by the quake. There they will find food and water, as well as a roof to sleep under.

The prison was built in 1972 and designed to accommodate 491 people. To offer shelter to some 250 displaced persons, the authorities freed a gym used by prison staff. The Minister of Justice said that it is the first time that the institute has welcomed residents affected by an emergency. 110 people will arrive at the prison today.

The jail is the perfect place to host people in difficulty, as it has emergency generators that provide electricity and water. The displaced people will be served with the institution food stocks which are rapidly dwindling. The Minister has decided to move 28 prison employees from other provinces in Kumamoto, 18 of whom will be in charge of caring for the refugees.

The April 16 earthquake, hit  at 1.25 in the night, near the city of Kumamoto, where a previous quake of magnitude 6.4 had struck. The two shocks are the strongest to rock Japan after the magnitude 9 earthquake that caused the tsunami in 2011 and the following Fukushima disaster. The confirmed deaths are 44, with at least 1,000 injured. The Red Cross, Army (Japanese and US) and police are aiding 100 thousand people living in emergency shelters, some in their own cars. The government intervention has attracted a lot of criticism from those who complain about the meager food rations that are distributed (about two rice balls for dinner head) and the lack of water and the consequent inability to wash.

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