A series of intense earthquakes in western Japan has claimed the lives of at least 55 individuals and laid waste to numerous buildings, vehicles, and vessels. Authorities issued warnings on Tuesday, cautioning the populace about the potential for additional tremors.
A day following the 7.6 magnitude quake, aftershocks persisted in Ishikawa prefecture and the surrounding regions, hampering immediate assessment of the extent of destruction.
Reports from Japanese media indicated that tens of thousands of residences have been damaged.
Destroyed homes and shaken lives!
Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that 17 individuals suffered critical injuries. He provided a slightly lower death toll, acknowledging the figures presented by the prefecture.
“It’s beyond chaos. The walls have crumbled, revealing the next room. I don’t think we can continue living here,” shared Miki Kobayashi, a resident of Ishikawa, while sweeping around her home.
Despite the gradual increase in casualties, swift public alerts broadcasted on television and phones, coupled with the prompt response from both citizens and authorities, appear to have mitigated some of the devastation.
Taking measures to minimize further harm
Toshitaka Katada, a disaster specialist at the University of Tokyo, noted that residents were prepared due to previous earthquake experiences. They had emergency supplies and evacuation plans in place.
“Probably, there are no people more equipped for disasters than the Japanese,” Katada told The Associated Press.
A nation accustomed to seismic activities
Japan frequently experiences earthquakes owing to its location within the “Ring of Fire,” a region with numerous volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
Katada stressed that the situation remains precarious and unpredictable. Previous quakes had foreshadowed the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. “This situation is far from being resolved,” Katada remarked.
Scientific predictions have often proved inaccurate, such as the 2016 quake in southeastern Kumamoto, an area previously believed to be mostly immune to earthquakes.
“Placing excessive trust in scientific power is highly perilous. We must contend with nature,” explained Katada.
Aerial footage from Japanese media displayed extensive devastation in the most affected areas, including landslides obstructing roads, boats displaced into water bodies, and a fire that razed an entire section of Wajima city to ashes.
Another tragic event unfolded when a Coast Guard plane involved in relief efforts encountered a mishap. Upon landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday, it reportedly collided with a Japan Airlines aircraft and immediately burst into flames.
The Coast Guard indicated that the plane was en route to Niigata airport on Japan’s western coast on New Year’s Day to assist residents affected by the massive earthquake that ravaged the nation.
The pilot of the Coast Guard’s Dash-8 maritime patrol plane fled and sustained injuries.
Condolences from Prime Minister Kishida
“I offer my condolences and appreciation to the personnel who carried out their duties with a profound sense of duty and obligation, and I pray for the peaceful repose of their souls,” stated Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as he mourned the loss of lives.