Japan has been hit by 155 earthquakes since Monday including the main 7.6-magnitude jolt that struck Ishikawa and another over 6, the Japan Meteorological Office said on Tuesday. They said that most of the earthquakes were of magnitude higher than 3 on the Richter scale. They also said that even though the strength gradually moderated, at least six strong jolts were still felt on Tuesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year’s Day caused “extensive” damage with numerous casualties. He said that authorities are in a “race against time” to rescue victims.
“Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires,” Kishida was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
A report by news agency AFP said that Japan, however, has lifted all tsunami warnings.
Monday’s major temblor killed 30 people, according to AFP, and triggered tsunami waves over a metre high. The earthquake damaged homes and sparked a major fire that caused damage overnight. The authorities are still assessing the scale of the damage from Monday’s quake.
Japanese news broadcasters showed footage of toppled buildings, sunken boats at a port and countless charred homes indicating the damage caused by the earthquake. Several citizens were out in the cold, without electricity, in freezing overnight temperatures.
The port of Wajima was hit by waves of at least four feet high and a series of smaller tsunamis were reported in other parts of the country.
In Suzu, aerial footage shared by Japanese broadcasters showed sunken boats at the city’s fishing port and devastation from a major fire in Wajima. Over 32,700 homes were without power on Tuesday.
The Japanese fire and disaster management agency ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate. The nation’s defence ministry said around 1,000 people were staying at a military base.
A major fire engulfed a row of houses in Wajima. Japanese officials evacuated people in the dark with some of them carrying babies and blankets. Wajima Fire Department officials said they are overwhelmed with rescue requests and reports of damages. They said they received over a dozen reports of structural damage.
“Since this morning, the number is rising. We are dealing with various fires and sending our resources for those too,” an official was quoted as saying by AFP.
“I have never experienced anything like this before, it was scary. I went out right away but the ground was shaking,” an elderly man told Japanese broadcaster NHK. Another person said people are in a “horrible situation” and urged for immediate help.
A six or seven-storey building toppled over, but the officer could not give details on whether any people were inside. Many houses collapsed in the city of Suzu, reports said.
Japanese authorities shut down several major highways around the epicentre of the earthquake. Authorities also suspended bullet train services from Tokyo. Flights and mobile phone coverage were reportedly disrupted while many convenience stores were shut.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned local residents of possible further quakes during the coming week or so.
The earthquake on Monday was also felt in capital Tokyo, which lies 300 kms away from the epicentre. A public New Year greeting event that was to be attended by Emperor Naruhito and his family members was cancelled.
US President Joe Biden was briefed on the quake and offered Japan “any necessary assistance” to cope with the aftermath.
Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and the vast majority of them cause no damage. The nation has strict building and construction regulations due to which buildings built there can withstand strong quakes. The Japanese people and authorities also hold routine emergency drills to better their preparedness in case of an earthquake.
