TOKYO: A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Monday, killing at least one person, destroying buildings, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and prompting residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground. The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of about 1 metre along Japan’s west coast and neighbouring South Korea, with authorities saying larger waves could follow.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. A major tsunami warning – the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan – was initially issued for Ishikawa but later downgraded. Russia and North Korea also issued tsunami warnings for some areas. Japanese authorities said the 7.6 magnitude temblor was one of more than 50 quakes of 3.2 magnitude or more to rock the region on the New Year’s Day holiday.
TV channels interrupted normal services with special programming including of PM Fumio Kishida urging people in danger areas to “evacuate as soon as possible” to higher ground. “Run to the highest ground possible,” an alarmed presenter on broadcaster NHK told viewers. Waves at least four-feet high hit the Wajima port and a series of smaller tsunamis were reported elsewhere, including as far away as the northern island of Hokkaido. The JMA initially issued a “large tsunami” warning, meaning waves of up to five metres. But no major incidents were reported and the JMA later downgraded its warning to tsunamis of up to three metres.
Houses have been destroyed, fires have broken out and army personnel have been dispatched to help with rescue operations, a government spokesperson told reporters, adding that authorities were still assessing the damage. One elderly man was pronounced dead after a building collapse in Shika Town in Ishikawa, NTV reported citing local police.
More strong quakes in the area, where seismic activity has been simmering for more than three years, could occur over coming days, JMA official Toshihiro Shimoyama said.
Images carried by local media showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the city of Suzu and a huge crack in a road in Wajima where panicked-looking parents clutched their children. There have been reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings in Wajima, a town of around 30,000 known for its lacquerware, and a major blaze has engulfed several buildings. The quake also jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo, some 500 km from Wajima on the opposite coast.
More than 36,000 households had lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures. Telecoms operators also reported phone and internet outages in some areas. Forty train lines and two high-speed rail services to the quake-hit area halted operations, while 6 expressways were closed and one of Ishikawa’s airports was shut due to a crack in the runway, transport authorities said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. A major tsunami warning – the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan – was initially issued for Ishikawa but later downgraded. Russia and North Korea also issued tsunami warnings for some areas. Japanese authorities said the 7.6 magnitude temblor was one of more than 50 quakes of 3.2 magnitude or more to rock the region on the New Year’s Day holiday.
TV channels interrupted normal services with special programming including of PM Fumio Kishida urging people in danger areas to “evacuate as soon as possible” to higher ground. “Run to the highest ground possible,” an alarmed presenter on broadcaster NHK told viewers. Waves at least four-feet high hit the Wajima port and a series of smaller tsunamis were reported elsewhere, including as far away as the northern island of Hokkaido. The JMA initially issued a “large tsunami” warning, meaning waves of up to five metres. But no major incidents were reported and the JMA later downgraded its warning to tsunamis of up to three metres.
Houses have been destroyed, fires have broken out and army personnel have been dispatched to help with rescue operations, a government spokesperson told reporters, adding that authorities were still assessing the damage. One elderly man was pronounced dead after a building collapse in Shika Town in Ishikawa, NTV reported citing local police.
More strong quakes in the area, where seismic activity has been simmering for more than three years, could occur over coming days, JMA official Toshihiro Shimoyama said.
Images carried by local media showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the city of Suzu and a huge crack in a road in Wajima where panicked-looking parents clutched their children. There have been reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings in Wajima, a town of around 30,000 known for its lacquerware, and a major blaze has engulfed several buildings. The quake also jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo, some 500 km from Wajima on the opposite coast.
More than 36,000 households had lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures. Telecoms operators also reported phone and internet outages in some areas. Forty train lines and two high-speed rail services to the quake-hit area halted operations, while 6 expressways were closed and one of Ishikawa’s airports was shut due to a crack in the runway, transport authorities said.
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