UPDATEFour people have been killed in a series of earthquakes in Japan. The government of Ishikawa Prefecture reported this. All fatalities occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture, which was also the epicenter of the quake. Another thirty people were injured. Two of them are said to be in serious condition. Dozens of houses were damaged and more than 30,000 Japanese were left without electricity.
LOOK. Images show how residents in Japan are suddenly surprised by a major earthquake:
The strongest earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.6, occurred around 4:10 PM local time (8:10 AM Belgian time) on the Noto Peninsula. Originally there was also a warning for tsunamis of 5 meters high, but that warning was later scaled down. According to Japanese TV channels, the highest tidal waves were about 1 meter high.
Six people buried
The government said six people were buried under the rubble of collapsed houses in the town of Wajima, in the affected Ishikawa prefecture. After the earthquake, a serious fire also broke out in the city. There has been no damage or abnormalities at nuclear power plants in the region, but the earthquake has caused power outages in tens of thousands of households.
The first heavy shock was also felt in the capital Tokyo. There appears to be no damage. High-speed train traffic in central and eastern Japan has been suspended.
About 32,500 households were left without electricity and approximately 97,000 people were ordered to evacuate.
Small tsunamis in South Korea after earthquake
The earthquakes in Japan have also led to warnings of (small) tsunamis in South Korea. The eastern province of Gangwon warned residents of several cities and provinces about tsunamis by text message. The national news agency Yonhap reported this on Monday.
People near the coast were advised to seek safety in higher ground. After a series of smaller tidal waves in the early evening (local time), the weather bureau later recorded a tsunami of 67 centimeters off the coastal town of Donghae. The agency warned that the next waves in the Sea of Japan (“East Sea” in Korean) could reach more dangerous levels. Gangwon could experience tidal waves for more than 24 hours. No damage has been reported yet.
A tsunami warning had also been issued in eastern Russia, the Russian news agency ‘TASS’ reported. And a tsunami alert had also been declared in North Korea.
Ring of Fire
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. The Japanese island is located on the so-called ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific Ocean, where earthquakes are common. The country is known for very strict construction standards, so buildings can generally withstand powerful earthquakes. The population is also trained for these types of tsunami threats, for which they regularly prepare.
Japan is also still traumatized by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake along its northeastern coast, followed by a massive tsunami. About 20,000 people were killed. This disaster also led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the worst since Chernobyl in 1986.
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