Japan shaken by series of severe earthquakes - four dead and tsunami waves
The tremors caused by the earthquakes caused houses to shake even in the capital Tokyo, as journalists from the AFP news agency reported. However, the epicenter was much further west around the prefectures of Toyama, Ishikawa and Niigata, where around 33,500 households were without power.
There were four confirmed deaths, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported early on Tuesday morning, citing the authorities in Ishikawa Prefecture. The prefecture in the west of the main island of Honshu was hit by a magnitude 7.5 quake.
In Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, houses collapsed and deep cracks could be seen in the streets. According to television reports and the local fire department, several houses in Wajima also caught fire. In the town of Suzu, many houses reportedly collapsed.
According to the government, the operation of nuclear power plants in Japan was not affected by the earthquakes and tidal waves.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the most severe quake occurred at around 4.10 pm (local time, 8.10 am CET) and, according to the agency, had a magnitude of 7.6. The US earthquake observatory USGS gave the magnitude as 7.5. The JMA warned of further earthquakes in the coming weeks, but especially in the next two or three days.
In view of the tsunami risk, residents of the affected areas were urged on Japanese television and radio stations to seek immediate safety in higher areas.
According to Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, 20 military aircraft were dispatched to assess the extent of the damage. In addition, 1,000 military personnel were to be sent to the affected areas and a further 8,500 were on alert.
However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center based in the US state of Hawaii gave the all-clear for tsunami waves during the course of the day. The threat was "largely over", it said on Monday.
The highest tsunami waves of 1.20 meters had previously been measured in the port of Wajima on the Noto peninsula. A state of alert had also been declared in Russia on the island of Sakhalin and in the city of Vladivostok due to possible tsunamis.
Major roads were closed near the epicenter of the severe quake. The Shinkansen high-speed trains between Tokyo and Ishikawa Prefecture were also suspended, according to the Japanese railroads.
US President Joe Biden offered Japan "all necessary assistance", according to the White House.
Japan is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently in this area. For this reason, strict building regulations apply in Japan and earthquake drills are held regularly.
On March 11, 2011, the east coast of Japan was hit by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami. The natural disaster claimed the lives of 18,000 people. The tsunami also hit the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing huge explosions and a meltdown in three reactors. It was the world's worst nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
At the beginning of May 2023, Ishikawa Prefecture was shaken by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake. One person was killed and 49 others were injured.
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Source: www.stern.de
