Japan was yesterday assessing damage and cautioning people of potential aftershocks after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake late on Monday night caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.
At least 33 people were injured, one seriously, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Most of them were hit by falling objects, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Photo: AFP
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters an emergency task force had been formed to urgently assess damage.
“We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she said.
In Taipei, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed his deepest condolences to all those affected by the earthquake.
Replying to Takaichi’s post on X, Lai wrote in Japanese that Taiwan and Japan have always supported each other in times of disaster, and Taiwan is ready to provide any assistance necessary.
Taiwan prays for the safety of everyone in Japan and that life can soon return to normal, he wrote.
At a parliamentary session, Takaichi pledged the government would continue its utmost effort and reminded people they have to protect their own lives.
The quake struck at 11:15pm in the Pacific Ocean, about 80km off Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island.
The US Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 7.6 and said it occurred at a depth of 44km.
A tsunami of up to 70cm was measured in Kuji port in Iwate Prefecture, and waves up to 50cm struck other communities in the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The agency lifted all tsunami advisories by 6:30am yesterday.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said about 800 homes were without electricity, and Shinkansen bullet trains and some local lines were suspended in parts of the region early yesterday.
East Japan Railway said it was aiming to resume bullet trains in the region later yesterday.
Power was mostly restored by yesterday morning, Tohoku Electric Power Co said.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said about 450 liters of water spilled from a spent fuel cooling area at the Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, but that its water level remained within the normal range and there was no safety concern.
No abnormalities were found at other nuclear power plants and spent fuel storage facilities, the agency said.
About 480 residents sheltered at Hachinohe Air Base and 18 defense helicopters were mobilized for a damage assessment, Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was paying close attention to the situation, and upon hearing of the earthquake, immediately contacted the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association to express condolences and offer assistance.
There were no reports of Taiwanese being injured or trapped in the quake, ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said.
The ministry has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan and its Sapporo branch to continue monitoring the situation, ensure the safety of Taiwanese in the region and provide necessary assistance, he said.
If Taiwanese encounter an emergency in Japan, they should immediately call the emergency assistance hotline and contact their local representative office, he added.
There have been no notifications from travel agencies or tour groups of Taiwanese being affected, the Tourism Administration said.
JMA cautioned about possible aftershocks in the coming days. It said there was a slight increase in risk of a magnitude 8-level quake and possible tsunami occurring along Japan’s northeastern coast from Chiba, just east of Tokyo, to Hokkaido.
The agency urged residents in 182 municipalities in the area to monitor their emergency preparedness in the coming week, reminding them that the caution is not a prediction of a big one.
Additional reporting by Huang Chin-hsuan and Chen Yun
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