Tokyo skyline
Photo:
KAZUHIRO NOGI/ AFP
In the event of a severe earthquake under the Japanese capital of Tokyo, the city government is apparently having four disaster control ships built.
This could be used to transport injured people and relief supplies in an emergency such as an earthquake, reported Japan's highest-circulation daily "Yomiuri Shimbun" on Wednesday.
According to the metropolitan government, there are two large ships with a capacity of 200 people each and two small ships with a capacity of 70 to 100 people each.
The ships would be fitted with beds and oxygen tanks to treat the injured.
According to the report, completion is scheduled for 2024-2025.
The ships are also to be used for disaster drills.
Worried about a massive earthquake in Tokyo
Japan is one of the countries most at risk from earthquakes in the world.
Four tectonic plates meet near it: the Pacific, the North American, the Eurasian and the Philippine plates.
Almost twelve years ago, a severe earthquake and tsunami devastated the north-east of the country.
Around 20,000 people were killed by the floods at the time.
In Fukushima, there was a super meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Strong earthquakes can happen at any time.
At some point, many people fear that a massive earthquake will also hit the capital Tokyo.
Depending on the definition, the population varies between 30 and 40 million people, around a third of the total population of the island kingdom.
Tokyo is the largest metropolitan area in the world.
aar/dpa