Of all natural calamities earthquakes are the most frightening and the most cruel. In most disasters such as floods, tornadoes, even volcanic eruptions end is mercifully swift but to die slowly over several days trapped under a collapsed building with broken limbs as happens in an earthquake is horrific. However, in Japan the quake did not bring down buildings, if we believe the video clips being shown on news channels, but it was the following tsunami which caused all the deaths. We see an entire town of 13000 people in the Miyagi prefecture being swept away. Only the hospital is left standing with, perhaps, no survivors to treat. This must be because of strict building codes in Japan which experiences 20 shocks daily. Imagine a quake of that magnitude hitting India. Builders are mostly criminals using low quality materials and their proximity to criminal politicians to escape scrutiny. Inspectors grow rich on bribes. Not one public building has emergency escape routes because that would be a waste of space which means money. Japan is a small country with a shrinking population. In India, with our population and unsafe buildings, a quake of 8.9 on the Richter scale will kill tens of millions. The government is intent on building nuclear power plants. Criminal politicians will take bribes from contractors, thieving civil servants will make money by cutting corners and contractors will use substandard materials. In Fukushima reactor no 3 has suffered partial meltdown. In India it would be total. People are merely " vote bank ". After elections who cares how many die. Certainly not criminal politicians or thieving civil servants. Great.