2-1-2024 (TOKYO) The aftermath of the New Year’s Day earthquake in central Japan has resulted in at least six fatalities and the evacuation of nearly 100,000 individuals. Japanese authorities reported on Tuesday (January 2) that the Self-Defense Forces are engaged in rescue operations, discovering several bodies in collapsed buildings, while a local airport had to close its runway due to quake-induced cracks.
Rescue teams reportedly found the body of an elderly individual beneath a collapsed house in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, as reported by NTV. The crisis management team disclosed that four people have lost their lives in Ishikawa, including a couple in their 50s, a young boy, and a man in his 70s. According to Asahi Shimbun, a 90-year-old man rescued from a collapsed structure succumbed to injuries despite medical efforts.
In response to the seismic activity, the Japanese government issued evacuation orders for over 97,000 people in nine counties along the western coast of Honshu Island by Monday night. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged residents to prioritize their safety and prepare for potential aftershocks.
The Imperial Household Agency announced the cancellation of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako’s scheduled New Year activities on Tuesday.
WATCH: ???????? Destruction aftermath the terrible 7.6 M earthquake hits Kanazawa of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. pic.twitter.com/7z05432YF1
— vanhoa (@vanhoa2272) January 2, 2024
The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded the “tsunami warning” issued for a broad area along the Sea of Japan coast early on January 2 to a “tsunami advisory,” urging coastal residents to remain vigilant.
The earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1 at around 4:00 PM local time. The agency had initially predicted a tsunami with waves as high as 5 meters, prompting the issuance of a “major tsunami warning” for the Noto region, marking the first time such a warning has been issued since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Within 10 minutes of the earthquake, a tsunami exceeding 1.2 meters was observed in Wajima Port, Ishikawa Prefecture. Subsequently, varying tsunami heights were recorded across the Japanese archipelago from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south.
On the night of January 1, the “major tsunami warning” for the Noto region was downgraded to a “tsunami advisory,” while the “tsunami advisory” issued for the northern mainland and specific areas in Yamagata, Niigata, and northern Hyogo Prefecture was later downgraded to a “tsunami advisory” on January 2. Coastal residents in the advisory areas were advised to stay away from the shore and river mouths.
The Japan Meteorological Agency uses the earthquake’s magnitude and location to estimate coastal tsunami wave heights and issues warnings categorized as “major tsunami warning,” “tsunami warning,” and “tsunami advisory,” with the highest predicted wave height exceeding 3 meters triggering a “major tsunami warning.”
