Powerful earthquakes have killed at least 48 people and destroyed many buildings along Japan’s west coast.
A series of powerful earthquakes has struck western Japan, killing at least 48 people and damaging buildings, vehicles and boats. Authorities warned residents in some areas on Tuesday to stay away from their homes due to the risk of more strong earthquakes.
Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa Prefecture and neighboring areas a day after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the area Monday afternoon.
Thirty people have been confirmed dead in Ishikawa, according to authorities. Seven other people were seriously injured, and the damage to homes was so extensive that it could not be immediately assessed.
“Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time”Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday. “It is essential that people trapped in homes are rescued immediately.”
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the region as he spoke.
The Japanese army has dispatched around 1,000 troops to the disaster areas to assist in rescue operations, Kishida said, stressing that this was “large-scale damage”. Details of the damaged houses are still being investigated, he added.
Firefighters managed to control a fire in the town of Wajima, which had reddened the sky with embers and smoke.
Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. In March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused the meltdown of three reactors and the release of large quantities of radiation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Videos show rows of collapsed houses. Some wooden structures were flattened and cars were overturned. Half-sunken boats float in bays where large waves have broken, leaving a muddy coastline.
Tsunami alerts lifted
On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level alerts or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu, as well as the northern island of Honshu. Hokkaido.
The alert was reduced a few hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted by early Tuesday. Waves of more than one meter hit some places.
The agency warned that other significant earthquakes could strike the region in the coming days.
People who were evacuated from their homes took shelter in auditoriums, schools and community centers. High-speed trains were disrupted in the region, but service has been restored in some locations. Sections of highways were closed, water pipes burst and cell phone service was disrupted in some areas.
Weather forecasts call for rain, raising concerns about crumbling buildings and infrastructure.
The region includes tourist sites renowned for their lacquerware and other traditional crafts, as well as sites classified as cultural heritage.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement that his government was “ready to provide all necessary assistance to the Japanese people.”
Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes due to its location on the “Ring of Fire”, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific basin.
Over the past day, the country has suffered around a hundred aftershocks.
