According to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the series of earthquakes on New Year's Day in Japan caused “numerous victims”. Significant damage was also confirmed, including collapsed buildings and fires, Kishida told reporters today. Rescuing the survivors is a “race against time”.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the country has been hit by a total of 155 earthquakes since yesterday, including one measuring 7.6. Police in the affected prefecture of Ishikawa initially spoke of eight deaths. Tsunami waves over a meter high have also been measured. Tsunami warnings have now been suspended.
The tremors shook houses even in the capital Tokyo, as reported by journalists from the AFP news agency. However, the epicenter was much further west, near Toyama, Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures, where around 33,500 families were left without power.