The government has warned of the possibility of a 5-meter (16-foot) tsunami and ordered people living on Japan's north-central coast to evacuate to higher ground after a powerful earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula on Monday afternoon.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, in the central part of Japan's main island, Honshu, around 4:00 p.m. Japan time (2 a.m. Japan time, 7 a.m. GMT). This was the most powerful earthquake in the area since records began.Japanese national broadcaster NHK is telling the public: “The tsunami is already here. Please run away as soon as possible…Remember the Great East Japan Earthquake. Please run away as soon as possible to save your life.”
Update 0645EST: Noto's “major tsunami warning” has been downgraded.
Perhaps some good news is that the emergency “major tsunami warning” issued for the Noto Peninsula, where Japan's magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on Monday afternoon, is a “tsunami warning” with expected wave heights dropping from 5 meters to 5 meters. It has been downgraded to a warning. 3 meters. However, evacuation orders are still very much in place, with people in the “red” region, which covers much of north-central Japan's coast, being told:
Tsunami damage will occur.
People living in coastal areas or along rivers should immediately evacuate to a safe location such as higher ground or an evacuation building.
Tsunamis strike repeatedly. Do not leave your safe area until the warning has been lifted.
Mr. Ishikawa requested the dispatch of the Self-Defense Force's ground forces for disaster relief.
On Monday, January 1, 2024, an extra edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun reporting on the earthquake that occurred in Tokyo will be delivered to people. Japan on Monday issued a tsunami warning and ordered evacuations after a series of earthquakes sparked fires and left people buried under rubble on the main island's west coast. The headline was “Intensity 7.” (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Japan's nuclear power plants in the affected areas are operating, despite damage to the power supply system in some areas, and cooling pools are operating without abnormal readings. It has said. According to a report by NHK, Masayuki Seki of the National Emergency Management Center said the following about the nuclear power plant:
“Currently, we are working to secure power to cool safety-critical equipment and spent fuel. We have already experienced an earthquake, so there is no need to take any evacuation actions.” We ask all residents to first ensure their own safety in the event of an earthquake.”
Shiga Nuclear Power Plant “Secures power supply for safety-critical equipment'' Emergency Response Centerhttps://t.co/BDFAzo9u3E #nhk_news
— NHK News (@nhk_news) January 1, 2024
Update 0630EST: Injured people arrive as hospital deals with power outage
The epicenter of the quake occurred below a rural peninsula, far from Japan's largest population center, although there are many cities in nearby Ishikawa Prefecture. A doctor at a hospital in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, told Japanese television that although the number of injured is increasing, infrastructure damaged by the earthquake is making treatment more difficult. He said, “Patients injured in the earthquake were brought in…The roads were in poor condition because of the earthquake.
“Some doctors are unable to go to the hospital because their symptoms are getting worse and there is a lack of staff. Also, the electricity at the hospital has been cut off, so we are using emergency power.”
At Noto Hospital, where a major tsunami warning has been issued, patients have been evacuated to the fifth floor of the building.
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A 1.2-meter (4-foot) high tsunami has already made landfall, but given the power of the earthquake, the Japanese government predicted that a 5-meter tsunami would not hit Ishikawa Prefecture yet. The Japanese government advises people living on Honshu's northern coast to look for higher ground or tall buildings.
Toshihiro Shimoyama, Earthquake Information Planning Officer of the Japanese Government, said: said on tv At a press conference regarding the earthquake, he said, “A major tsunami warning has been issued…I ask you to evacuate to a safe place. Tsunamis will strike repeatedly, so I would like you to remain in a safe place until the tsunami warning is lifted.'' I think.
“In areas where the shaking was strong, there is an increased risk of houses collapsing and landslides, so please be careful of future seismic activity and rain conditions, especially if you stay in the area for about a week in the coming days.”
The highest purple alert has been issued for the Noto Peninsula, with residents told to expect a 5-metre tsunami. People living in coastal areas or along rivers should immediately evacuate to a safe location such as higher ground or an evacuation building. Tsunamis strike repeatedly. Do not leave your safe area until the warning has been lifted. ”
A smaller but still serious red warning has been issued along the coast of north-central Japan, warning of a 3-metre tsunami. People in the area have received similar advice. A yellow warning has been issued for the eastern and westernmost coasts of Japan's north-facing prefecture, where waves of 1 meter are expected and the public told it is dangerous to be “in the sea or near the coast.” ing. Anyone in the water should get out and move away from shore.
While the tsunami poses a serious risk to life and property in the coming hours, the massive earthquake that triggered it has already caused severe damage, and Japan continues to be hit by dozens of powerful aftershocks. . Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference that 33,000 homes were without power and that in six cases people were “buried alive” due to collapsed buildings. Roads, railways and airports are closed.
TURKIYE, ANKARA – JANUARY 1: Infographic titled “A series of powerful earthquakes hits Japan, triggering tsunami warning” created in Ankara, Turkiye on January 1, 2024. (Photo credit: Muhammed Ali Yigit/Anadolu via Getty Images)
This story is developing and has more to come.
