Rescuers are scrambling to save the trapped victims of a devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake that hit central Japan today, as others ran for higher ground amid warnings of a tsunami.
A total of 21 quakes above 4.0 magnitude rang out shortly after 4pm local time (7am UK time), with Wajima City's Fire Department in Ishikawa reporting it had received more than 30 reports of collapsed buildings, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.
Videos shared on social media and broadcast on Japanese TV showed how structures had crumbled in Suzu, a city close to the epicentre of the largest quake, with thick cracks appearing in roads.
The tremors triggered a huge fire in Wajima, with shocking footage showing massive flames engulfing residential buildings according to local broadcasters.
Other clips showed terrified shoppers thrown to the ground in department stores and flooding at a train station after water pipes burst. The earthquake struck as millions of Japanese flocked to temples to mark the New Year.
Japan's meteorological agency said that the earthquake's magnitude of 7.6 is the largest ever recorded in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.
Rescuers are combing through the debris of several houses to evacuate trapped residents after Yoshimasa Hayashi, chief cabinet secretary of Japan, said there were at least six people reported trapped under the rubble of their homes, those that number is expected to increase.
Elements of Japan's military have been called up to aid in the rescue and evacuation efforts, Hayashi added. No reports of deaths or injuries have yet been confirmed, but officials said the situation is still unclear.
The earthquakes triggered fears of a tsunami, with the meteorological agency initially warning citizens to brace for waves of up to 5 metres (16.4ft). Officials later downgraded the major warning to a regular tsunami warning.
But a spokesman official from the service warned there is still a 'very high risk' of buildings collapsing, and strong tremors could continue for the 'next two to three days'.
'Do not wander away from the safe place,' he said. 'There is a very high risk of buildings collapsing and other damages caused by the tremors. History tells us that the similar scale of earthquakes can reoccur within two to three days.'
The country's meteorological agency reported the first big waves hit Wajima port in Ishikawa prefecture at 4:21pm local time just as darkness fell on the region, with many more expected in the coming minutes and hours.
A major tsunami warning was issued for Ishikawa as well as lower-level tsunami alerts or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu, as Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV urged people to flee to high land or to the top of nearby buildings.
'We realise your home, your belongings are all precious to you, but your lives are important above everything else. Run to the highest ground possible,' a presenter on broadcaster NHK told viewers.
The tsunami waves could keep returning, according to the network, as warnings continued to be aired nearly an hour after the initial alert.
The threat was later downgraded to a regular warning.
The Japanese government has set up a special emergency centre to gather information on the quakes and tsunami and relay them speedily to residents to ensure safety, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
But the effects of the earthquake were expected further afield than just Japan.
Russia's emergencies ministry said that parts of the western coast Sakhalin island, situated close to Japan on Russia's Pacific seaboard, were also under threat of tsunami, and that the local population was being evacuated, state news agency TASS reported.
North Korea issued tsunami warnings for its east coast saying waves of up to 2.08 meters (6.8 ft) can reach its shore, Yonhap news reported citing the North's state radio.
And South Korea's meteorological agency earlier said sea levels in some parts of the Gangwon province on the east coast may rise after the earthquakes.
The Japanese government will hold a news conference later in the day, with reports of any damage not immediately available.
Several major highways were closed, the road operator said, and Shinkansen bullet train services were also suspended between Tokyo and the epicentre in the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of Japan's main island of Honshu.
Around 33,500 households on the western coast of Honshu were left without power, according to local utilities.
Fears are mounting that Japan's coastal nuclear power plants could be affected in the wake of the quake.
But operators have confirmed that no issues have been detected yet.
'It has been confirmed that there are no abnormalities at Shika nuclear power plant (in Ishikawa) and other stations as of now,' government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
'Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately,' he added.
Hokuriku Electric Power, Tokyo Electric Power Co, and Kansai Electric Power operate several nuclear power plants along the coastline that could be struck by tsunamis.
Japan Records Total of 29 Earthquakes in 2 Hours
Sputnik
A total of 29 earthquakes with a maximum magnitude of 7.6 occurred in the Japanese prefectures of Ishikawa and Niigata in two hours on Monday, according to data analyzed by Sputnik.
"As of now, six buildings have collapsed, with a possibility of people remaining under the rubble," Hayashi said, adding that the authorities did not possess any information about the injuries.
1 comment:
Plutocrats building subterranean bunkers in NZ. Summa cum laude grads at Wharton Business School will soon realize they flunked geology. Kiwi sits right on top of an earthquake fault. People who fail to learn from history; doomed to repeat it.
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