MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

At least 30 killed in Japan tremor

Although the tsunami alert was downgraded, people were advised to evacuate all coastal areas and not return there until further notice

At least 30 people have been killed following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the Japanese Prefecture of Ishikawa. Around half the casualties were recorded in the town of Wajima, where a fire destroyed several houses. Japan Railways announced that high-speed trains between Tokyo and Ishikawa were interrupted.

In the aftermath, local authorities issued a high tsunami warning which was downgraded later in the day, but residents of coastal areas were advised not to return to their homes just yet since waters could still reach up to 3 meters. Aftershocks could also hit the same area in the coming days, authorities said.

In addition to Ishikawa, there were reports of injured people and collapses in the prefectures of Niigata, Fukui, Toyama, and Gifu. The earthquakes caused fires and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan's main island, Honshu. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported more than a dozen earthquakes off the coast of Ishikawa.

At least six houses were damaged by the quakes, with people trapped inside, said government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi. A fire broke out in the town of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, and there was a power outage for more than 30,000 homes, he said. Spokesman Hayashi also urged residents to “move to a safe area immediately.” Many people were taken to stadiums, where they will probably have to stay for a few days.

More serious earthquakes could hit the area, especially in the next two or three days, authorities also explained. More than a dozen strong earthquakes have been detected in the region, with risks of triggering landslides and collapsing houses.

A Paraguayan woman living in Japan was quoted by Asunción media as saying through her social media accounts that “I was standing up and falling, things fell, we are waiting for the tsunami which will be five meters.”

“We had a very strong earthquake and now we are on tsunami warning. I ran outside, stood up, and fell; things started falling from the kitchen. Now we are waiting for the tsunami,” insisted Yeimy Takahashi on TikTok. “I am very scared,” she also said.

Authorities also said over 10,000 people had been evacuated with help from the Japanese Army due to the phenomenon in the early hours of 2024 while some 20 military aircraft were deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, some cities in the Russian Far East also issued warnings for possible tsunami risk, although without proceeding with evacuations. Authorities in Vladivostok advised fishermen to return to port.