Second Sumatra quake

Second Sumatra quake

Just three months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in late December, the Indonesian island of Sumatra was hit by another giant trembler.

There is a lot Japan can do again. The government intends to dispatch doctors and nurses. An NGO decided to send a medical team. We hope the public and private sectors will work closely for maximum efficiency.

How far were the lessons learned in December put to practice? Japanese and American disaster preparedness authorities lost no time in providing tsunami information to the neighboring nations.

Making preparations can reduce damage. While we enhance our own earthquake-preparedness, we should share our know-how and make the best of our expertise when cooperating with the rest of the world. -- The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo