Tokyo, Jan 1 (EFE).- A powerful earthquake struck the west coast of central Japan on Monday, triggering a tsunami warning for large parts of the archipelago.
The magnitude-7.6 earthquake, which was initially recorded at 7.4 by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), also caused significant structural damage that has left at least six people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The earthquake, which was felt in the capital Tokyo, struck on the Noto peninsula at 4:10pm at a shallow depth of 16 kilometers (10 miles).
Footage on Japanese television and on social media showed the tremor’s strength and its destructive power, especially in the town of Wajima (about 500 km west of Tokyo), where the most serious damage was reported.
At least 30 single-family homes were severely damaged in the town, which is home to some 27,000 residents, leaving at least six people buried under the rubble. The quake also caused a large fire.
Nearly 60 aftershocks had been recorded by 9pm, with the JMA warning that more tremors are very likely over the next week.
The quake also damaged roads and highways in the region and forced a temporary suspension of several high-speed train lines.
More than 30,000 homes in Ishikawa and another 3,600 in neighboring Niigata have been reported without power.
Japanese authorities have said that no damage has been detected at any of the country’s nuclear power plants.
The earthquake triggered tsunami alerts of waves up to five meters high in Ishikawa prefecture and for waves up to three meters for the prefectures of Fukui, Toyama, Hyogo, Niigata and Yamagata.
A tsunami warning of up to one meter was also implemented for the entire west coast of the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido and the north of the island of Kyushu.
The intensity of the earthquake and the severity of the warning forced broadcasters on Japan’s public broadcaster NHK to urge people in the worst affected area to move to higher ground.
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida convened an emergency meeting and urged people to evacuate to safer areas.
Authorities in neighboring South Korea reported that the coast of Gangwon Province, which faces the Sea of Japan (called the East Sea in Korea), saw waves between 20 and 45 centimeters high.
The water has not caused any damage in Japan or South Korea, although the JMA alert is expected to remain active for several more hours. EFE
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