The Ground Self-Defense Forces mobilized seven helicopters within 24 hours of the Great Hanshin Earthquake to fight fires caused by the temblor, which hit on Jan. 17, 1995, sources said Friday.
At the time of the disaster, the Prime Minister's Official Residence as well as other government agencies were flooded with calls demanding aerial fire control from those who tuned in to media coverage that showed flames devouring whole neighborhoods with firefighters on the ground seemingly unable to handle the fires.
The sources said that during the early hours of Jan. 18, the Ground Self-Defense Force's Chubu region flight corps based in the city of Yao, Osaka Prefecture, issued orders for seven helicopters to fly to affected areas and help put out the fires.