wfn.org | JAPAN EARTHQUAKE UPDATE

[PCUSA_NEWS@ecunet.org]

17-Jan-95

                     JAPAN EARTHQUAKE UPDATE 
 
       by Insik Kim, Coordinator East Asia/Pacific Office 
                  Worldwide Ministries Division 
 
KOBE, Japan--PC(USA) missionary personnel in Kobe area are safe!  
At 5:47 a.m. (Japan time) there was a strong earthquake in the Kobe 
and Osaka area.  There was considerable damage.  The communication 
lines have been interrupted and are not working.  However, the 
Hastings were able to call home form a public phone which was still 
working.  Their house has been semi-destroyed and is unsafe to in.  
they are staying in their van at a junior high school playing field 
near their home. 
 
     The mission houses in the Mikage area where the Moores and 
Schmidts live are slightly damaged.  The are just south of Mikage 
houses is on fire and the expressway fell in three places with 
trains being derailed and overturned. 
 
     In a fax received from Sibbett F. Sapp, missionary in Nagoya, 
he states:  `The worst damage in residential areas appears to be 
in Nagata ku to the west of Sannomiya, running all the way tot he 
center of Kobe.  I (Sapp) fear for Yamamoto Dori.  Fortunately, no 
one in living there.  No one should have been there at 5:47 when 
the earthquake occurred.  I am concerned for Hashimoto and the Nada 
Church as the Nada area was hard hit.  I wonder about the seminary 
property.  Ashiya was also hard hit.  That is east of Kobe.  Fire 
is still burning in many ares with most of the water mains either 
broken or the pumping stations shut down because of cut electric 
lines.  Over 70 fires have been reported in Kobe.  Most of these 
consuming entire neighborhoods.' 
 
     We will keep you informed as we receive further information 
from Japan. 
 
 

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For more information contact Presbyterian News Service
  Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, KY 40202
  phone 502-569-5504            fax 502-569-8073  
  E-mail PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org   Web page: http://www.pcusa.org 

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