KOBE, Japan (Kyodo) -- The western Japan city of Kobe and nearby areas on Friday marked the 30th anniversary of the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that killed over 6,400 people, with many hoping to keep alive the memories as the devastating event continues to teach the importance of enhancing preparedness in the disaster-prone nation.
Residents and victims' families observed a moment of silence at 5:46 a.m., the exact time the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck Kobe and its vicinity in Hyogo Prefecture on Jan. 17, 1995, leaving 6,434 people dead as many homes were flattened.
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