Investigation of Human Injuries during the July 26, 2003 Northern Miyagi Earthquake with Focus on Furniture Overturning

In the morning of 26 July 2003, a powerful shallow inland earthquake of Magnitude 6.4 on the JMA scale occurred in northern Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Severe damage was concentrated in several towns around the epicenter because of the medium-sized earthquake, shallow focus and high frequency predominance. The Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ), dispatched members of the technical working group to investigate the earthquake damage and learn lessons from the disaster. We analyzed the results of the investigation regarding (1) human injuries, the causes and distribution; (2) estimation of furniture overturning; (3) relationship between structural damage and overturning damage of furniture in buildings; (4) relationship between the furniture overturning ratio and the following preparedness ratio based on a follow-up survey in the focal area. The potential for human injury in earthquakes is increasing due to urbanization, high rise buildings and the aging of society.