At least 6 dead in Japan’s massive earthquake on New Year’s Day – Reuters
© Reuters. A fire breaks out due to an earthquake in a residential area in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan on January 1, 2024. This photo was released by Kyodo News. Mandatory Credit Kyodo via REUTERS
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TOKYO (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on New Year’s Day, killing at least six people, with police and local authorities reporting instances of bodies being pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings on Tuesday morning.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck mid-afternoon Monday, destroying buildings, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and forcing some coastal residents to evacuate to higher ground.
It also created waves about 1 meter (3.3 feet) high along Japan’s long western coast and neighboring South Korea.
Army personnel were sent to help with rescue efforts, and a local airport was closed after the earthquake caused cracks in its runway.
NTV broadcaster, citing local police, reported that an elderly person was killed in a building collapse in Shikamachi, Ishikawa Prefecture.
Kyodo News, citing the prefectural crisis management team, reported that four people, including a man and woman in their 50s, a young boy, and a man in his 70s, died in Ishikawa Prefecture.
The Asahi Shimbun reported that, according to police, a man in his 90s was rescued from the rubble of the building and taken to the hospital, but was confirmed dead.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters late Monday that blocked roads were making it difficult for search and rescue teams to reach the worst-hit areas.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that the United States stands ready to provide necessary assistance to Japan following the earthquake.
“As close allies, the United States and Japan share a deep bond of friendship that unites our people,” he said. “Our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this difficult time.”
The Japanese government said it had issued evacuation orders to more than 97,000 people in nine prefectures on the west coast of the main island of Honshu as of Monday night. They were spending the night in playgrounds and school gymnasiums, which are often used as shelters in emergencies.
Power was cut off to about 33,000 households in Ishikawa Prefecture early Tuesday morning, according to the Hokuriku Electric Power Company website.
Japan’s Imperial Household Agency announced that Emperor Naruhito and Queen Masako’s New Year’s visit scheduled for Tuesday would be canceled following the disaster.
nuclear power plant
The quake comes at a sensitive time for Japan’s nuclear industry, which has faced fierce opposition from some local residents following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The disaster devastated the entire village.
Nuclear regulators said no abnormalities were found at nuclear power plants off the Sea of Japan, including five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui prefecture.
Hokuriku Electric’s Shika power plant, which is closest to the epicenter, had already shut down two reactors before the quake for routine inspections and was not affected by the quake, the agency said.
