By Sakura Murakami and Kiyoshi Takenaka for Reuters
Buildings burning in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture after a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto region on New Year's Day 2024. Photo: STR / Yomiuri Shimbun / AFP
Japan is struggling to assess the full extent of damage from an earthquake that struck its west coast, killing at least eight people, wrecking buildings and roads and knocking out power to swathes of homes in freezing temperatures.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, struck in the middle of the afternoon on New Year's Day, prompting residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground as tsunami waves about 1 metre high hit Japan's western seaboard.
Thousands of army personnel, firefighters and police officers from across the country have been dispatched to the worst-hit area in the relatively remote Noto peninsula. However, rescue efforts were hindered by badly damaged and blocked roads and one of the area's airports was forced to close due to runway cracks.
Many rail services and flights into the area were suspended.
"The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting on Tuesday.
A house collapsed in Wajima City, after an earthquake on New Year's Day 2024. Photo: AFP/ The Yomiuri Shimbun - Yusuke Fukuhara
Kishida said rescuers were finding it very difficult to reach the northern tip of the Noto peninsula due to wrecked roads, and that helicopter surveys had discovered many fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Public broadcaster NHK said eight deaths had been reported in the hard-hit town of Wajima near the quake's epicentre, while in nearby Suzu some doctors were unable to reach a hospital that was relying on a backup generator for power.
The national police said six people had been confirmed dead, and the fire and disaster management agency said 19 people were in a state of cardiac arrest.
A man in his 90s was pronounced dead after a building collapse in Shika Town in Ishikawa prefecture, broadcaster NTV reported citing local police.
Kyodo News reported four deaths in Ishikawa, citing the Prefectural Crisis Management Team, including a man and woman in their 50s, a young boy, and a man in his 70s.
More than 90 tremors had been detected since the quake first hit on Monday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency warned that more strong shocks could hit in coming days.
The tiled roof exterior wall of this historic old house was destroyed by the earthquake in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Photo: AFP / MASANORI INAGAKI
In Toyama city, around 100km from the worst-hit area, some shelves in convenience stores were empty as the disaster disrupted the delivery of goods across the region.
President Joe Biden said in a statement the United States was ready to provide any necessary help to Japan after the earthquake.
"As close allies, the United States and Japan share a deep bond of friendship that unites our people. Our thoughts are with the Japanese people during this difficult time," he said.
The Japanese government ordered more than 97,000 people to evacuate their homes on Monday night, sending them to sports halls and school gymnasiums, commonly used as evacuation centres in emergencies.
Many returned to their homes on Tuesday as authorities lifted tsunami warnings.
But around 33,000 households remained without power in Ishikawa prefecture early on Tuesday morning, according to Hokuriku Electric Power's website. Most areas in the northern Noto peninsula also had no water supply, NHK reported.
The Imperial Household Agency said it would cancel Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako's slated New Year appearance on Tuesday following the disaster.
A shrine destroyed by the earthquake in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Photo: YOMIURI SHIMBUN
'Tsunami! Evacuate!'
Following the quake, a bright yellow message reading "Tsunami! Evacuate!" flashed across television screens advising residents in specific areas of the coast to immediately evacuate.
Local media footage showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the city of Suzu and a huge crack in a road in Wajima where panicked-looking parents clutched their children.
There were reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings in Wajima, a town of about 30,000 known for its lacquerware, and fire engulfed several buildings.
The quake also jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo, some 500km from Wajima on the opposite coast.
Many people scrambled to find safe places outside following the earthquake in Wajima City. Photo: AFP/ The Yomiuri Shimbun - Yusuke Fukuhara
Nuclear plants
The quake comes at a sensitive time for Japan's nuclear industry, which had faced fierce opposition from some locals since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima. Whole towns were devastated in that disaster.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities were found at nuclear plants along the Sea of Japan, including five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power's Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui Prefecture.
Hokuriku Electric's Shika plant, the closest to the epicentre, had already halted its two reactors before the quake for regular inspections and saw no impact from the quake, the agency said.
Chip materials maker Kokusai Electric said it was investigating further after finding some damage at its factory in Toyama ahead of the planned resumption of operations on Thursday.
- This story was first published by Reuters