30pc walked home from Tokyo after quake

What do people do in a big city in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake that has crippled the infrastructure?

A survey has found that 30 per cent of people living in Tokyo had to walk home after the massive earthquake on March 11.

Nippon Research Centre surveyed 1,000 people aged 15 or above living in Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures. They examined how people responded to the emergency.

The survey found that 60.5 per cent of people were at work or school when the earthquake struck. With many railway lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area not running in the hours after the quake, 31.4 per cent of people say they had to walk home.

Twenty-two and a half per cent say they drove home, and 9.8 per cent cycled home. Almost 12 per cent of people stayed overnight in offices or schools.

When asked what they did the day after the quake, about half the respondents said they hoarded various supplies. Twenty-two per cent say they bought water and instant noodles, and about 18 per cent say they bought rice. About 16 per cent bought batteries.

- NHK WORLD