52 nursing homes in Miyagi, Iwate unable to operate... (JAPAN)

52 nursing homes in Miyagi, Iwate unable to operate after quake
TOKYO —

A total of 52 nursing homes in coastal areas of Iwate and Miyagi prefectures have become unable to operate due to damage caused by the March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami, local municipal officials said.

The disaster left a total of 438 people who were living there dead or missing. Experts say when reconstructing such facilities for the elderly, it is necessary to set them up somewhere on a hill to prevent damage from tsunami.

In Fukushima Prefecture, an area also hit by a nuclear accident as well as the natural calamities, at least two nursing homes in Minamisoma collapsed, causing at least four deaths, but details of the damage in the prefecture are still under investigation.

In Miyagi, 1,171 people lived as of February in 38 nursing homes which became out of service after the quake. Although it is unknown how many people stayed at the facilities when the quake occurred, 296 people, or about one-fourth of the residents as of February, have died or remain missing.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/52-nursing-homes-in-miyagi-iwate-unable-to-operate-after-quake