JIJI

As many as 2,860 public schools in Japan are at risk of being affected by a tsunami of a magnitude estimated as possible, a government survey revealed Tuesday.

They included 1,442 elementary schools and 671 junior high schools, according to the survey conducted by the education ministry in May.
The survey looked at how many schools are located within areas that a massive tsunami would likely reach, based on estimates by the central and local governments.

In the March 2011 earthquake, a huge tsunami hit 131 schools in the northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. The ministry plans to urge public schools to take safety measures soon.

Of the 2,860 schools that could be flooded, 1,290 schools believe that existing facilities are enough to ensure safety, while 306 schools claim to have introduced tsunami measures, such as ensuring evacuation routes and equipping staircases to rooftops.