According to public broadcaster NHK, 30 people were injured, most of them hit by objects that fell from establishments; Prime Minister announced the creation of an emergency task force
The is assessing damage and warning the population about possible aftershocks, after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused injuries, minor damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities on Monday (8). At least 33 people were injured, one of them seriously, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Most of the victims were hit by falling objects, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Japanese Prime Minister, told reporters that an emergency task force had been formed to urgently assess the damage. “We are prioritizing people’s lives and doing everything we can,” he said.
In a parliamentary session this Tuesday (9), Sanae promised that the government will continue to do as much as possible and reminded people that they need to protect their own lives.
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurred at around 11:15 pm in the Pacific Ocean, about 80 kilometers off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture on the main Japanese island of Honshu. The US Geological Survey recorded the earthquake as magnitude 7.6 and reported that it occurred at a depth of 44 kilometers.
A tsunami of up to 70 centimeters was recorded at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, south of Aomori, and waves of up to 50 centimeters hit other communities in the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said around 800 homes were without power and that Shinkansen bullet trains and some local lines were suspended in parts of the region in the early hours of Tuesday. East Japan Railway said it plans to resume bullet train operations in the region this Tuesday.
According to Tohoku Electric Power Co., most electricity had already been restored by Tuesday morning.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that around 480 residents were sheltering at Hachinohe Air Base and that 18 defense helicopters were deployed to assess the damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned of the possibility of new tremors in the coming days. According to the agency, there is a slight increase in the risk of a magnitude 8 earthquake and possible tsunami along the northeast coast of Japan, from Chiba, east of Tokyo, to Hokkaido.
The JMA recommended that residents of the region’s 182 municipalities monitor their emergency plans next week, reinforcing that the alert does not mean that a major earthquake is about to happen.
*With information from AFP
Published by Nícolas Robert
