To what extent are core building regulations responsible for high loss of life in earthquakes?

... To what extent are core building regulations responsible for high loss of life in earthquakes? During an earthquake man-made constructions are vulnerable to destruction. Earthquakes can devastate buildings, power supplies and roads. This then leads to electrical fires, break down of communications and inevitable loss of life. These characteristics are what give earthquakes their hazardous nature as they cause damage to buildings and loss of human life. To some extent the existence of building regulations is responsible for high loss of life in earthquakes. Densely built cities such as San Francisco are likely to cause the most loss of life when an Earthquake strikes due to the large numbers of potential threats. It is frequently not the actual Earthquake that results in damage and loss of life but the fact that it triggers buildings and communication lines to collapse. In cities such as San Francisco there are large numbers of high-rise

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