The nightmare of 2011 returns, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 (updated value after an initial assessment of 7.1) was recorded in Japan, near the west coast, in Ishikawa province, in the center of the island of Honshu, the main town . The earthquake occurred at 8:10 am Italian time, 4:10 pm local time, at a depth of 76 km. Authorities issued a tsunami warning in the Sea of Japan for waves of up to three meters in six prefectures, including Yamagata and Fukui.
According to the US Seismological Institute, Trunami threatens areas up to 300 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. The first waves, around 1.20 meters high, have already reached the city of Wajima, around 500 kilometers west of Tokyo, at around 4:21 pm local time (8:21 am in Italy). Public broadcaster NHK activated emergency programming, with hosts urging people to move away from the coast and seek refuge on higher ground.
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture, where tsunami waves of up to five meters are expected, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA said the Noto region on the Sea of Japan side of Japan’s main island Honshu experienced a rapid succession of earthquakes, starting with a magnitude 5.7 tremor at 4:06 p.m. local time, followed by one of magnitude 7.6 at 4:10 p.m., a magnitude 6.1 earthquake at 4:18 p.m., a magnitude 4.5 at 4:23 p.m.
Broadcasters interrupted programming to switch to special programs and to make urgent appeals to residents to move to higher ground. “We realize that your home, your belongings are precious to you, but your lives are important above all. Run on the highest ground possible,” a NHK presenter told viewers.
Japan has strict building codes designed to ensure buildings can withstand strong earthquakes and regularly holds emergency drills to prepare for a strong tremor. But the country is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0 magnitude underwater earthquake off northeast Japan in March 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing and caused the meltdown of three nuclear plant reactors. of Fukushima, causing Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. In March 2022, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing three people.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
