A team of engineers from the global earthquake structural engineering firm, Miyamoto International, is heading to Nepal to help the country recover from the 7.8-magnitude quake that killed more than 1,800 people with the death toll continues to rise.
Led by the firm’s CEO, Dr. H. Kit Miyamoto, the team’s expertise includes disaster response, recovery and mitigation from years of experience responding to killer quakes in countries such as Haiti, New Zealand, Japan, China, Turkey and Italy. Dr. Miyamoto will be reporting in daily and is available for media interviews from on the ground in Nepal on what it will take to recover and how other countries can mitigate their risk.
“Earthquakes don’t kill people; buildings kill people,” Miyamoto said. “As structural engineers, we have the responsibility to prevent these disasters. We know what to do to prevent buildings from collapsing on people. This is especially important in countries with high seismic activity.”
Earthquake standards are slowly improving in Nepal and the surrounding countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but significant work remains. These countries have huge inventories of existing buildings and infrastructure that were constructed with little-to-no seismic consideration. The potential for damage and loss-of-life in future earthquakes is high.
Strong building codes, construction oversight, seismic rehabilitation of existing buildings and preparedness are key in preventing catastrophic damage in earthquakes. Structural engineers today have the knowledge and skills to reduce risk and protect people’s lives and safety.
To follow Miyamoto International or the nonprofit Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief in Nepal, please check their Facebook pages or websites.
Media Contact
For interviews, please call or email:
Diana Erwin, Communications Director
Miyamoto International
C (916) 524-2969
derwin@miyamotointernational.com