Both Japan and China should beef up emergency mechanisms to prevent secondary disasters resulting from earthquakes and tsunamis, a senior official from China's earthquake authority, said in an exclusive interview on Friday.

Yin Guanghui, deputy director of Earthquake Emergency Response and Relief Bureau of China Earthquake Administration, embarked on a rescue mission as the leader of China International Search and Rescue Team to the disaster-stricken areas of Japan after the major earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, which killed around 16,000 people.

Secondary disasters, also called collateral disasters, are initiated by a primary disasters, such as a fires or tsunamis caused by an earthquake. Secondary disasters often cause far more damage and problems than a primary disaster.

"More effort to enhance preparations to avert such tragedies is expected among various departments of government bodies," Yin said.

The overlapping impacts of an earthquake and the secondary disaster it triggers lead to massive disruption to power supplies, transportation, telecommunication and water supplies.

"The energy, automobile and electronic sectors also face short-term disruption, which was pretty obvious after the major quake last March," he added.

Residents have lunch at a temporary restaurant in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, on Thursday. Cui Meng / China Daily