Japan issued tsunami warnings on Monday after a powerful earthquake struck its western coast, trapping some under rubble and others struggling to take shelter on higher ground.
More than a dozen earthquakes were reported off the coast of Ishikawa shortly after 4 p.m., the largest of which was measured at 7.5. magnitude, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Honshu island.
The tremors first caused four-foot-high waves to hit coastal cities, where residents were urged to immediately get to high ground ahead of expected waves of up to 17 feet high, according to broadcaster NHK TV.
As a result, warnings were issued continuously almost an hour after the initial alert.
But by Monday night, most tsunami warnings had been canceled, but some remained in effect for waves up to three feet, CNN noted.
A tsunami wave that hit the city of Suzu “could have been much worse,” said CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam, referring to images of the ridge approaching the coastal city.
Aftershocks could continue for months, seismologist Susan Hough of the United States Geological Survey warned CNN.
A car is trapped under a house that collapsed after an earthquake in Shika City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. via REUTERS An aerial view shows the fire scene after an earthquake in a residential area in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. Via REUTERS
“An earthquake of this magnitude will continue to have aftershocks. It could easily have aftershocks greater than magnitude 6, so that will be a danger in itself,” Hough explained.
“You can see all the snow from the electric cable falling, and also (the snow) from the roof fell and all the cars are shaking. And then everyone panicked at that moment,” Taiwanese tourist Johnny Wu told Reuters of the moment the earthquake hit Ishikawa.
“The whole room was shaking, the TV was shaking. She had to leave everything on the table. …However, I felt safe in my room. But everything else was shaking,” added Baldwin Chia, visiting from Shanghai.
A commercial facility collapsed due to an earthquake in Kaga, Ishikawa. Via REUTERS
On Monday afternoon, government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi urged people to head to higher ground “immediately.”
At least six houses were damaged by the earthquakes, trapping their occupants inside, Hayashi said.
A fire in the city of Wajima related to the disaster also left about 30,000 homes in the dark, according to the spokesperson.
Several buildings were damaged and roads left cracked by the initial earthquake, and some of the country’s famous Shinkasen bullet trains were also suspended as residents fled to safety, CNN reported.
The surface of a parking lot cracks due to an earthquake in Uchinada City, Kahoku District. X @hayatekvem via reuters are cracks on the ground in Wajima, Prefecture of Ishikawa, Japan, on January 1, 2024, after an earthquake. AP A damaged door is seen after an earthquake at a shrine in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, Jan. 1, 2024. AP People sit on the ground inside a store as an earthquake hits, in Kanazawa, Ishikawa , Japan, January 1, 2024 INSTAGRAM @HSU.TW via REUTERS
“In response to the M7 earthquake in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, we have immediately established the Prime Minister’s Response Office – Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishid wrote in X.
“By prioritizing human lives, we are doing everything we can to assess the damage and doing everything we can to respond to disasters. For those in affected areas, please pay close attention to the latest information and place personal safety as your priority.”
A tsunami threat has also been declared in the eastern Russian cities of Vladivostok, Nakhodka and the island of Sakhalin, CNN reported, citing Russian state media TASS.
This image taken in Hong Kong on January 1, 2024 shows a warning message on a screen of an NHK World live broadcast asking people to evacuate the area after a series of large earthquakes hit central Japan. AFP via Getty Images
Japan is an extremely earthquake-prone country. In March 2011, a large earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and caused meltdowns at a nearby nuclear power plant.
With post cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn