Massive earthquake jolts central Japan, causing casualties, disruptions

A timetable shows train delays caused by earthquakes at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

TOKYO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A powerful earthquake Monday rocked central Japan with tsunami warnings still in effect, causing at least one dead and multiple injuries, house collapse, power outages and transport chaos during the New Year holiday.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), among a series of quakes, the major temblor up to a preliminary 7.6 magnitude occurred at 4:10 p.m. local time (0710 GMT) at a shallow depth, registering a maximum 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. The JMA officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

In the wake of the temblors, homes and roads collapsed and a significant fire erupted in Ishikawa Prefecture and surrounding areas, according to local media reports.

An elderly man died after a building collapsed in Shika town in Ishikawa prefecture, local media Nippon Television Network reported on Monday.

Besides, two people were reported in a state of cardiac arrest in Nanao city of Ishikawa.

As of 7 p.m. on Monday, multiple people were injured in Ishikawa, Niigata, and Fukui prefectures, hit by falling objects or suffering broken bones, national broadcaster NHK reported.

The number of injured individuals is reported to be a total of seven in Hakui city and Shiga town in Ishikawa, 15 in Toyama, five in Fukui, two in Niigata, and one in Gifu, according to national news agency Kyodo.

Latest reports showed that some homes were flattened by the quake, with people trapped underneath. Many houses collapsed in Noto region and Hakui city in the prefecture.

Officials of Japan's industry ministry say about 34,000 households in Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures are without power as of 5:30 pm local time on Monday.

An official at a hospital in Suzu City in Ishikawa Prefecture says those injured in the earthquake have been brought there, which is operated with a backup generator, but some doctors are having trouble reaching the hospital due to road damage.

Medical staff at another hospital in Wajima City have been treating patients in a parking area at the facility.

In Toyama Prefecture, local authorities have received reports of cracks in roads at several locations and broken water pipes.

TSUNAMI WARNINGS STILL IN EFFECT

The quake also triggered tsunami warnings along the Sea of Japan coast. In areas where tsunami warnings have been issued, residents are evacuating to higher ground and other places of safety. In Nomi city of Ishikawa prefecture as of 5:30 p.m. on Monday, about 100 people had taken refuge in the city hall's main building, while about 2,000 people have been evacuated to facilities such as local city offices in Yamagata Prefecture.

"We don't know when a tsunami is going to come, and aftershocks are scary," said Kai Mawaki, a resident of Suzu, a city at the tip of the Noto Peninsula.

According to Kyodo, the 26-year-old who has evacuated to a nearby elementary school with around 20 family members, is worried about the availability of essential supplies such as food and bedding.

As of 1:16 a.m. local time Tuesday, Tsunami warnings have been downgraded to advisory for many parts of the country.

DISRUPTIONS HAMPER RESCUE EFFORTS

Disruptions of communication and transport have affected rescue efforts in the quake-affected areas as roads and telecom facilities have suffered damages following the quakes.

Japan's major telecom carriers have reported service disruptions in the prefectures hit by the earthquakes, with NTT Docomo saying its voice calls and data services are not available or have difficulties to use in some areas in Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures. Softbank, Rakuten Mobile and KDDI also reported affected services.

Noting that some telecom facilities have been damaged by the earthquake, fixed-line carrier NTT West also says its internet and IP phone services may not be available in some areas of Ishikawa Prefecture. It is feared that emergency phone service is also down.

Transportation chaos caused by the quakes has roiled the holiday travel rush, with disrupted railway and air services stranding passengers in many parts of the country.

Although East Japan Railway says it has resumed Hokuriku Shinkansen service between Tokyo and Nagano, service between Nagano and Kanazawa has stopped through Monday, and Joetsu Shinkansen service between Echigoyuzawa and Niigata is also suspended through Monday. Many suspensions are expected to extend into Tuesday afternoon.

According to the transport authorities, 40 train lines and two high-speed rail services to the quake-hit area halted operations, while six expressways were closed and one of Ishikawa's airports was forced to shut due to a crack in the runway.

Japanese airline ANA turned back the planes headed to airports in Toyama and Ishikawa, while Japan Airlines canceled most of its services to the Niigata and Ishikawa regions.

A Xinhua reporter was on board the Japanese Hokuriku Shinkansen No. 531 train when the major quake occurred, experiencing intense shaking as it neared the vicinity of Takayama city in Toyama prefecture. The train decelerated until it came to a complete stop, with an announcement stating that an emergency stop was necessary due to the earthquake.

NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS CONCERNS

Concerns over the safety of Japan's nuclear power plants (NPPs) were triggered on the backdrop of the Fukushima accident. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on Monday said no irregularities have been found at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan, including five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power's Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui Prefecture.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company said it has shut down two generators at its Nanao Ota thermal power plant in Nanao city in Ishikawa, the closest nuclear power station to the quake's epicenter.

However, the NRA told a press conference that a blast and the smell of something burning were observed at the Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa prefecture.

The plant operator, on the other hand, said that the two nuclear reactors can function properly using alternative systems, NHK reported.