Japan earthquake updates: 7.6 temblor traps people in fallen homes
Here are the developments from the major quake and tsunami that hit Japan on Monday January 1, 2024.
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- The Japan Meteorological Agency reports quakes off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures, one with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6.
- The tsunami threat from the shallow temblor that struck central Japan has “largely passed”, a United States agency said, after waves 1m (3 feet) high hit some areas.
- The “major tsunami warning” issued for Ishikawa prefecture was downgraded after thousands were ordered to evacuate to higher ground.
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And watch the first scenes of the quake’s aftermath as it hits Japan here.
Rescue efforts continue through the night in Japan
The Japanese government says it is still assessing the extent of damage caused and whether there are any casualties from the quake.
The temblor was felt in the capital Tokyo, 300km (190 miles) away on the other side of the island.
Waves at least 1.2 meters (4 feet) high hit the Wajima port about 10 minutes after the strongest 7.6-magnitude quake.
A series of smaller tsunamis were reported elsewhere, as far away as the northernmost main island of Hokkaido.
Tourists caught up in Japan’s quake
The major jolt was also felt by tourists who had flocked to Japan’s mountainous Nagano region for the start of the snow sports season.
Johnny Wu, a 50-year-old Taiwan snowboarder, was waiting for a shuttle bus back to his hotel in the resort town of Hakuba when the quake hit.
“Everybody was panicked at that time. I’m a little bit better because I come from Taiwan, so I’ve experienced a lot [of quakes]. But I’m still worried about [aftershocks] getting more serious,” he said.
WATCH: Magnitude 7.6 earthquake and aftershocks hit Japan
Rescue efforts are under way after a powerful earthquake rocked western Japan.
The amount of destruction and number of casualties remains unclear as emergency services try to reach the epicentre.
Fire teams struggle to reach houses ablaze as people trapped inside
Images broadcast on Japanese television show a major fire blazing in Wajima city that engulfed a row of houses with people being evacuated in the cold dark winter night.
“There is a large fire. We cannot immediately tell how many houses are affected by it,” an unnamed firefighter with the Wajima Fire Department told AFP news agency.
Four fire engines are on the scene but other heavy equipment struggled to reach the blaze because of damaged roads and fallen debris, he said.
The department is swamped with calls with “numerous” reports of people injured and trapped inside collapsed buildings, the fireman added.
‘We haven’t decided when to return home yet’
The region is familiar with deadly temblors as the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit western Japan in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people, mainly in the city of Kobe.
Monday’s quake struck during the January 1 public holiday when millions of Japanese traditionally visit temples to mark the new year.
In Kanazawa, a popular tourist destination in Ishikawa, images showed the remnants of a collapsed torii gate strewn at the entrance of a shrine as anxious worshippers looked on.
Kanazawa resident Ayako Daikai said she evacuated to a nearby elementary school with her husband and two children soon after the earthquake hit. Classrooms, stairwells, hallways and the gymnasium were packed with evacuees, she said.
“I also experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake, so I thought it would be safest to evacuate. We haven’t decided when to return home yet.”
Tsunami measuring half a metre reaches South Korean coast
A tsunami measuring less than 1 metre has reached South Korea’s east coast, the country’s meteorological agency says.
The first tsunami to reach South Korea was 0.67 metres (2.2 feet) but it may increase in size after the initial waves and may continue for more than 24 hours, the agency said.
Tsunami threat from Japan quake ‘largely passed’: US agency
The tsunami threat from a powerful earthquake that struck central Japan has “largely passed”, a US agency said, after waves more than 1 metre (3.3 feet) high earlier hit some areas.
“The tsunami threat has now largely passed,” the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
Nuclear debate goes on in Japan after major quake hits
Shogo Akagawa, editor-in-chief with Nikkei news agency, noted several nuclear power plants are based near the epicentre of the 7.6 temblor but “luckily” they weren’t operational since being shut down after the Fukushima disaster.
“Fukushima caused a lot of damage in the past and was of great concern domestically and internationally. Areas around the plant are still radioactive,” he told Al Jazeera.
But he noted public opinion is still divided over whether to restart its nuclear plants for power generation.
“Increasingly, people are pro-restarting the nuclear power plants because of the aggression by Russia – Japan still imports oil and gas from Russia – and also because of climate change,” said Akagawa.
Fukushima disaster fears revived after latest quakes
The magnitude 7.4 quake raised fears of the situation in 2011 when a 9.0 temblor hit off Japan’s northeastern coast.
It was followed first by an enormous tsunami, up to 30 metres (98 feet) in height, and then the meltdown of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant that was destroyed by the power of the wave.
In the wake of the nuclear disaster, the government ordered people in nearby cities to leave and established radiation exclusion zones around the plant. Nearly 165,000 residents were evacuated at its peak in 2012.
Decontamination efforts have meant most areas reopened and people were allowed to return to their homes. But thousands of people remain listed as Fukushima evacuees and many say they have no intention of going back.
Flights cancelled to Niigata, Ishikawa regions
Japanese airline ANA turned back planes headed to airports in Toyama and Ishikawa.
Japan Airlines cancelled most of its services to Niigata and Ishikawa regions and authorities said one of Ishikawa’s airports is closed after the magnitude 7.6 earthquake.
At least six homes damaged, fire breaks out in Wajima city
At least six homes in Japan have been damaged by the earthquakes, with people trapped inside.
A fire broke out in Wajima city, Ishikawa prefecture, and electricity is out for more than 30,000 households, government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said. Japan’s military is taking part in search-and-rescue efforts.
Japanese media footage showed people running through the streets, and red smoke spewing from a fire in a residential neighbourhood.
More than a dozen strong quakes were recorded in the region, with risks of setting off landslides and houses collapsing.
Rush to stock up on essentials as series of quakes rattles Japan
Takashi Wakabayashi, a worker at a convenience store in Ishikawa prefecture, says items tumbled from the shelves, but the biggest problem is a huge crowd of people who showed up to stock up on bottled water, rice balls and bread.
“We have customers at three times the level of usual,” he said.
Monday’s temblor struck nearly 13 years after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake sparked the devastating tsunami – a disaster that killed more than 18,000 people, destroyed communities along the country’s northeast coast, and triggered nuclear contamination from a smashed nuclear plant.
Earthquake strongest recorded in Noto region
The 7.6 earthquake that hit Japan is the strongest recorded in the Noto Peninsula region in Ishikawa prefecture since 1885 when data became available.
An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency says Monday’s event marks the first time a major tsunami warning was issued since March 11, 2011.
It’s also the first time an earthquake with a seismic intensity of 7.0 occurred in Japan since September 2018.
‘Next 90 minutes really a danger period’
Chris Gilbert, reporting from Tokyo, says waves have hit the northwest coast of Japan but more are still coming in.
“These are 50cm to 1 metre. We’re heading into high tide now and the next 90 minutes are really going to be a danger period for potential further tsunami,” he said.
“Now this size is a far cry from what we saw 12 years ago after the great earthquake then, when the tsunami size was 30 metres. But it barely takes half a metre to knock someone over, so the danger is still very real.”
Photos: Damage reported after 7.6 earthquake hits Japan
Here are the latest photos showing the aftermath of the quake that hit Japan:
North Korea issues tsunami warnings: Report
North Korea has also issued tsunami warnings for its east coast, saying waves of up to 2.08 metres (6.8 feet) can reach its shore, South Korean Yonhap news agency reported, citing the North’s state radio.
Capital Tokyo feels quake from opposite coast
Footage by broadcaster NHK shows a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the coastal city of Suzu and residents in Kanazawa city cowering under tables as tremors shook their homes.
The powerful quake jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo on the opposite coast.
Japan is an extremely quake-prone nation. In March 2011, a major quake and tsunami caused meltdowns at a nuclear plant in Fukushima. An estimated 18,400 people died in that temblor.
South Korea’s eastern province tells residents to evacuate
South Korea’s Gangwon province warned residents to take precautions and evacuate to higher ground.
South Korea’s meteorological agency said a tsunami wave of 0.45 metres (1.5 feet) reached the east coast of Mukho in Gangwon province. It said waves can grow higher after the first waves hit and can continue for up to 24 hours.
The city of Samcheok advised residents to move to areas higher than a three-storey building.
More major earthquakes could hit area over next week: Agency
The Meteorological Agency says in a nationally broadcast news conference more major quakes of seismic intensity of 7 could hit the area over the next week, especially in the next two or three days.
An official from the agency said risk of fires and landslides are heightened in areas hit by the quake.
Authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage and residents need to prepare for any more tremors, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in comments aired on public broadcaster NHK.
‘Every minute counts – please evacuate’
Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters nuclear plants in the area have not reported any irregularities.
But he said it is critical for people in coastal areas to get away from the oncoming tsunami.
“Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately,” he said.
A tsunami of about 3 metres (about 10 feet) is expected to hit Niigata and other prefectures on the western coast of Japan. Smaller tsunami waves are already confirmed to have reached the coastline, according to broadcaster NHK.
Total of 21 quakes above 4.0 magnitude hit Japan: Met office
A succession of 21 earthquakes registering 4.0 magnitude or stronger struck central Japan in just over 90 minutes.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says the strongest jolt measured 7.6.
Major highways closed near epicentre
Several major highways have closed around the earthquake epicentre.
Shinkansen bullet train services are also suspended between Tokyo and the epicentre region of Noto in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan Railways says.
About 33,500 households without power near quake epicentre
About 33,500 households have been without power around the epicentre of a series of major earthquakes in central Japan.
The areas affected were the Toyama, Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures on the Sea of Japan side of Japan’s main island of Honshu, utility companies say.
Russia declares tsunami warning in far eastern cities
Russia has declared a tsunami warning in the far eastern cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka, state news agency TASS reports, citing the cities’ mayoralties.
Emergency services on Sakhalin island near Japan declared a “tsunami alert”, saying its western coast “may be affected by tsunami waves”.
Authorities in Vladivostok also announced an alert and ordered fishermen to “urgently get back to shore”.