Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
A strong earthquake struck central Japan on Monday, causing significant infrastructure destruction and coastal evacuations. The seismic event, measuring 7.6 on the magnitude scale, left tens of thousands without electrical power.
According to Indian Express, at least 48 people are reported dead in the aftermath of the earthquake, along with subsequent aftershocks and a small sized tsunami. Despite ongoing rescue operations, the heavily damaged roads in the worst-affected area, the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, have posed significant challenges for the thousands of rescuers on the ground.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasised the critical nature of the ongoing search and rescue mission, emphasizing the priority of saving lives despite the logistical hurdles posed by impassable roads.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has recorded over 90 tremors since the initial quake, issuing warnings of potential strong aftershocks in the days to come.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declared the ongoing search and rescue mission a race against time. Evacuation directives were issued for more than 97,000 residents across nine prefectures along Japan's western coast. Emergency shelters, including sports halls and school gymnasiums, were made available for those uprooted by the disaster.
Initially, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a significant tsunami warning, marking the first since the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami. However, the warning was later downgraded and eventually reduced to an advisory.
The earthquake stands out as the most powerful in the region in over four decades, as indicated by data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Homes were reduced to rubble, fires erupted, and military personnel were mobilized to aid in the ongoing rescue endeavours.
The seismic event unfolded at a delicate juncture for Japan's nuclear industry, sparking concerns amid longstanding opposition from locals since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The recent lifting of the operational ban on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant raised pertinent questions about the industry's resilience in the face of seismic activities.
As of the present moment, no irregularities have been reported at nuclear plants along the Sea of Japan. The Nuclear Regulation Authority affirmed that Kansai Electric Power's Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui Prefecture, as well as Hokuriku's Shika plant in Ishikawa, have experienced no detrimental effects from the seismic event.