Death toll from strong earthquakes in Japan continues to rise

The earth in Japan does not rest. A tsunami warning has now been lifted, but the tremors continue. Several people died. The damage is considerable.

Tokyo – The death toll from a series of strong earthquakes on the west coast of Japan has continued to rise. At least 21 people were killed in the severely affected Ishikawa prefecture, the Japanese daily newspaper “Yomiuri Shimbun” reported on Tuesday. The meteorological authority canceled a warning of tsunami waves that had been issued the previous day for the entire west coast of Japan. The tremors caused significant damage. Around 100,000 people were asked to seek safety during the New Year celebrations.

Numerous houses collapsed or fell victim to fires, roads tore open, and power went out in tens of thousands of households. Several people suffered injuries. In the hard-hit town of Wajima in Ishikawa, more than 100 homes and businesses burned down in one neighborhood, local media reported. Low flames were still burning in places on Tuesday morning and firefighters were still on duty. Thick smoke hung over the area. Other houses had collapsed or were badly damaged. Around 1,000 people were housed at an air base in Wajima and provided with blankets, water and food, the government announced.

Authorities warn of further earthquakes

Meanwhile, the series of quakes continued. A particularly strong earthquake had reached a magnitude of 7.6 the day before. The epicenter was in the Noto Peninsula area of ​​Ishikawa Prefecture. The weather agency then issued a strong warning of a possible five-meter-high tsunami for Ishikawa, which was later lifted. For all other coastal regions in the west, lower tsunami warnings continued to apply. The quake was felt from Hokkaido in northern Japan to the southwestern main island of Kyushu. Several tidal waves around one meter high hit the coast.

The tremors triggered landslides and trees fell onto roads. Several boats were lying keel-high in the harbor basin. There were reports of burst water pipes. The government in Tokyo set up a crisis team and the armed forces were called in to provide disaster relief in Ishikawa. The meteorological authority warned of further strong quakes this week, especially in the first two or three days after the particularly severe tremor on New Year's Day.

In March 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that devastated large areas in the northeast of the country and killed around 20,000 people. There was a disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The Far Eastern island kingdom of Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. dpa