A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck an area off the west coast of Japan on Monday, killing at least two people and triggering tsunami warnings, widespread blackouts and evacuations during new year celebrations.
The Japan Meteorological Agency initially issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa prefecture in central Japan, the highest level of alert issued since the devastating tsunami in 2011 that disabled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Other lower-level warnings were issued for neighbouring coastal prefectures in Niigata and Toyama and waves of about 1 metre were observed on parts of the Sea of Japan coast. The highest level alert was downgraded a few hours later, although warnings remained in place for a tsunami of up to 3 metres.
The earthquake, which was also felt in Tokyo, affected several nuclear power plants in the region, including Tokyo Electric Power’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility in Niigata prefecture. But an official at Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said it had not detected any abnormalities in radioactivity levels at the plants.
The initial quake, which hit the Noto region of Ishikawa shortly after 4pm local time, was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks. Japan’s meteorological agency warned of more big shocks in the coming days.
According to the National Police Agency, at least two people died in Nanao city in Ishikawa prefecture as a result of the earthquake, although it did not provide further details. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said people remained trapped in at least six damaged homes.
Japan is prone to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. In 2011, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Tohoku in northeastern Japan caused a huge tsunami that killed almost 20,000 people.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told military, police and fire department personnel to enter the most heavily affected areas and ordered supplies including water, food, blankets and kerosene to be delivered by air and sea because of cracks in the roads.
“We must rescue the victims trapped in collapsed buildings . . . so I have instructed their immediate dispatch,” he said.
It was taking time for the government to collect full information on the extent of the damage since the earthquake occurred shortly before sunset, he added.
More than 32,000 homes lost power in Ishikawa prefecture, according to Hokuriku Electric Power Company, while TV footage on Japanese media showed collapsed buildings and a large fire in the prefecture’s Wajima city. The quakes also disrupted bullet train services, flights and mobile networks in the region.
Television footage showed buckled roads and cars washed away by the tsunami. In one video on social media, a woman who said she was in Noto Peninsula sought help against the backdrop of a collapsed rooftop. “Please help. My town is in serious trouble,” she said.
In South Korea, officials in the country’s eastern Gangwon province urged residents living near the coast to evacuate to higher ground after warnings of rising sea levels as a result of the tsunami.
Additional reporting by Christian Davies in Seoul
