Emergencies - Strong series of quakes in Japan: warnings of tsunami tidal waves
A series of strong quakes on the west coast of Japan on New Year's Day triggered warnings of tsunami tidal waves and caused damage. Japanese television station NHK warned of a tidal wave of up to five meters in Ishikawa Prefecture, the hardest hit area.
Residents were urged to seek safety on high ground or on top of buildings. According to TV stations, several houses collapsed due to the tremors. The government reported six cases of people being buried alive under rubble. Several people were injured.
At 4.10 p.m. (8.10 a.m. CET), the weather authority reported a magnitude 7.6 tremor, with the epicenter at a very shallow depth in the Noto region on the Sea of Japan. The authority then issued a strong tsunami warning for Ishikawa and a lower tsunami warning for the other coastal regions in the west of the archipelago. In some regions, the first tidal waves of more than one meter were registered soon afterwards.
The regions were hit by further tremors. According to the central government, however, there were no irregularities at nuclear power plants. Buildings also began to sway in the area around the capital Tokyo. The government set up a crisis team.
The damage
Some streets and parking lots were torn open, a fire broke out in a factory and goods fell off the shelves in some stores. Power was cut in 34,000 households in Ishikawa and other prefectures. There were reports of burst water pipes. The affected region is currently experiencing winter temperatures. The operation of high-speed trains was temporarily halted. The meteorological authority warned of further strong quakes during the week, especially in the next two or three days.
Compared to the tsunami disaster in March 2011, the tidal waves were much smaller. Back then, a magnitude 9 seaquake triggered a massive tsunami that devastated large areas in the north-east of the archipelago and killed around 20,000 people. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered a meltdown. Japan is one of the countries in the world most at risk from earthquakes.
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The strong earthquake off the west coast of Japan on New Year's Day not only triggered tsunami warnings but also caused an emergency situation in Tokyo. Several houses collapsed and people were injured, and the government reported cases of people being buried alive under rubble. Despite the shallow depth of the earthquake, the Japanese authorities were able to issue a strong tsunami warning, issuing lower warnings for other coastal regions.
Source: www.stern.de
