A strong earthquake struck central Japan on Monday (1 January), triggering warnings for residents to evacuate some coastal areas, knocking out energy to hundreds of properties and disrupting flights and rail companies to the affected area.
The quake with a preliminary magnitude of seven.6 triggered waves of round 1 metre alongside components of the Sea of Japan coast with a bigger wave anticipated, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Japan Meteorological Company has issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama, marking the primary main warnings because the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.
A significant tsunami warning means there’s a risk of waves of greater than 3 metres.
Russia additionally issued tsunami warnings in its far japanese cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka.
Authorities are assessing the extent of any injury and residents want to arrange for any extra tremors, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida mentioned in feedback aired on NHK.
“Residents want to remain on alert for additional doable quakes and I urge folks in areas the place tsunamis are anticipated to evacuate as quickly as doable,” Kishida mentioned.
“Run!” flashed a brilliant yellow warning aired on NHK advising residents in particular areas of the coast to instantly evacuate their properties.
Footage by the broadcaster confirmed a constructing collapsing in a plume of mud within the coastal metropolis of Suzu and residents in Kanazawa metropolis cowering underneath tables as tremors shook their residence. The quake jolted buildings within the capital Tokyo on the alternative coast.
Greater than 36,000 households had misplaced energy in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, utilities supplier Hokuriku Electrical Energy mentioned.
Excessive pace rail companies to Ishikawa have been suspended whereas telecom operators Softbank and KDDI reported telephone and web service disruptions in Ishikawa and Niigata, in line with their web sites.
Japanese airline ANA turned again 4 planes midair as they headed to airports in Toyama and Ishikawa, whereas Japan Airways cancelled a lot of the flight companies to Niigata and Ishikawa areas for the remainder of the day, in line with TV Asahi.
Nuclear vegetation
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority mentioned no irregularities have been confirmed at nuclear energy vegetation alongside the Sea of Japan, together with 5 lively reactors at Kansai Electrical Energy’s Ohi and Takahama vegetation in Fukui Prefecture.
Hokuriku’s Shika plant in Ishikawa, the closest nuclear energy station to the quake’s epicentre, had already halted its two reactors earlier than the quake for normal inspections and noticed no affect from the quake, the company mentioned.
The 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed practically 20,000 folks and devastated cities and nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
One other quake, generally known as the Nice Hanshin Earthquake, hit western Japan in 1995, killing greater than 6,000 folks, primarily within the metropolis of Kobe.
Monday’s quake struck through the 1 January public vacation when thousands and thousands of Japanese historically go to temples to mark the brand new 12 months.
In Kanazawa, a well-liked vacationer vacation spot in Ishikawa, photographs confirmed the remnants of a collapsed torii gate strewn on the entrance of a shrine as anxious worshippers regarded on.
Kanazawa resident Ayako Daikai mentioned she had evacuated to a close-by elementary college along with her husband and two kids quickly after the earthquake hit.
“I additionally skilled the Nice Hanshin Earthquake, so I assumed it might be most secure to evacuate,” she instructed Reuters when contacted by phone. The higher flooring of the four-storey college had full of residents, she mentioned.
“We haven’t determined when to return residence but.”
In close by Wajima, photographs confirmed collapsed homes and an enormous crack alongside a concrete highway the place panicked-looking dad and mom clutched their kids.
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