30 dead in Japan after 155 earthquakes jolt East Asian nation

The earthquake and powerful aftershocks in Japan on New Year’s Day have claimed at least 30 lives and leaving a trail of destruction. As the rest of the world was celebrating the first day of New Year 2024, Japan was hit by 155 earthquakes including a 7.6-magnitude jolt and another over 6, Japan’s meteorological agency said. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake had a magnitude of 7.5, while Japan’s meteorological agency measured it at 7.6, and said it was one of more than 150 to shake the region through Tuesday morning. Several strong jolts were felt in the early hours of Tuesday, including one measuring 5.6. ‘Race against time’ Though, initially, there were no incidents about the damage due to the calamity, but gradually reports of devastation started coming to fore. On Tuesday, as daylight arrived, the scale of the destruction in Ishikawa emerged with buildings still smoldering, houses flattened and fishing boats sunk or washed ashore. The major earthquake on Monday, (1 January, 2024) triggered tsunami waves over a metre high, damaging homes and sparking a major fire that wreaked destruction overnight. Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the earthquakes have caused “extensive damage with numerous casualties”. He further said, “Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires. “We have to race against time to search for and rescue victims of the disaster,” Kishida added. Landslide after earthquake According a report by NHK, a massive landslide is believed to have occurred on a mountain in Nanao City. Aerial footage showed several places with bare mountain surfaces. 500 people stranded at airport parking lot The NHK report quoted land ministry official saying about 500 people are stranded in a parking lot at Noto Airport. They are said to be waiting in buses and other vehicles after the terminal building sustained extensive damage. They are reportedly being provided with food and blankets, but nearby roads are unusable. The tremors have caused several cracks as long as 10 meters on the runway. Meanwhile, officials have said the airport will be closed until at least Thursday. Repair workers are currently unable to reach the facility due to road damage. Bullet trains reach station after 11 hours Stranded for about 11 hours due to the strong earthquake that hit central Japan, four Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet trains finally reached stations. Train service was suspended after the earthquake struck at 4:10 pm (local time) on Monday, leaving about 1,400 passengers stranded. The operator said the trains maintained power, air conditioners were functioning, and employees delivered food to the passengers by car. With inputs from agencies