01/02/2024 10:15 am (Act. 01/02/2024 10:15 am)
The death toll continues to rise. ©AP; Portal
The death toll continues to rise following a powerful earthquake in Japan on New Year's Day.
At least 48 people have died in badly affected Ishikawa Prefecture in the west of the main island of Honshu, broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday, citing local authorities. Tsunami warnings issued the day before were suspended. Rescue teams searched for other people buried under the rubble.
“The search and rescue of people affected by the earthquake is a fight against time,” said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Some areas are very difficult to reach due to impassable roads and other damaged infrastructure.
Evacuation and power cuts
Numerous rail connections and flights to the earthquake area were suspended. The airport on the Noto peninsula was closed due to extensive damage, and around 500 people were trapped in vehicles in the parking lot, state television broadcaster NHK reported. In the small coastal town of Suzu, near the epicenter, as many as 1,000 of 5,000 homes may have been destroyed, according to Mayor Masuhiro Izumiya. “The situation is catastrophic,” he said. The city of Wajima was also particularly affected.
On Monday night, authorities urged around 100,000 people to seek safety following tsunami warnings. They were accommodated in sports halls that function as evacuation centers in emergencies. Many returned to their homes on Tuesday after authorities lifted tsunami warnings. According to energy company Hokuriku Electric Power, nearly 32,000 homes were still without power on Tuesday. Furthermore, most areas of Noto have no water supply, NHK reported.
More tremors expected: Fear of the next earthquake
The Japan Meteorological Institute (JMA) warned of new strong tremors in the coming days. Since Monday's first earthquake, more than 140 tremors have been recorded. On Tuesday, areas of Ishikawa Prefecture were again shaken by an earthquake, the magnitude of which, according to initial reports, was probably in the region of just over 5. A new tsunami warning was not issued.
The nuclear authority said there were no known problems at nuclear plants along the coast. The Shika nuclear plant, which is closest to the epicenter, shut down its two reactors for regular inspections before the earthquake. According to the company, there were some power cuts and oil leaks. But no radiation escaped.
Memories of Fukushima: Nuclear energy under criticism
The 7.6 magnitude New Year's Day earthquake brings back memories of the severe earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, in which nearly 20,000 people died. At the Fukushima nuclear plant, meltdowns occurred in the core of three reactors, resulting in the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Last week, Japan lifted the operating ban on the world's largest nuclear plant, which has been shut down since the 2011 tsunami.