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Houses damaged, army units dispatched as dozens of earthquakes hit Japan: Photos
The quake with a magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of around 1 meter along parts of the Sea of Japan coast, with authorities saying larger waves could follow.
A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Monday, triggering warnings for residents to evacuate some areas on its west coast, destroying buildings, knocking out power to thousands of homes, and disrupting travel to the region.
The quake with a magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of around 1 meter along parts of the Sea of Japan coast, with authorities saying larger waves could follow. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) registered over a dozen earthquakes in the Japan Sea near the Ishikawa coast and surrounding prefectures shortly after 4 pm.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama. A major tsunami warning — the first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan — was initially issued for Ishikawa but later downgraded.
Several houses have been destroyed, and army units have been dispatched to help with rescue operations, top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, adding that authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage.
More strong quakes in the area, where seismic activity has been simmering for more than three years, could occur over the coming days, JMA official Toshihiro Shimoyama said.
Damages
There have been reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings in Wajima, Japan-based NHK reported, citing the city's fire department.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi reported damage to at least six homes, trapping people inside.
The Japanese government said it was still assessing the extent of damage caused and whether there had been any casualties from the quake. The quake also jolted buildings in Japan's capital Tokyo, some 500 km from Wajima on the opposite coast.
More than 36,000 households had lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, utilities provider Hokuriku Electric Power said.
High-speed rail services to Ishikawa have been suspended while telecom operators Softbank and KDDI reported phone and internet service disruptions in Ishikawa and Niigata, according to their websites.
Moreover, Japanese airline ANA turned back planes headed to airports in Toyama and Ishikawa. At the same time, Japan Airlines cancelled most of its services to Niigata and Ishikawa regions and authorities said one of Ishikawa's airports was closed.
Even several major highways were closed around the epicentre, Japan's road operator said, and Shinkansen bullet train services were also suspended between Tokyo and the epicentre in Noto.
As of now, there are no confirmed reports of deaths or injuries resulting from the earthquakes, and the situation remains unclear. Japan's military is actively participating in rescue efforts, according to Hayashi.
The region has experienced more than a dozen significant earthquakes, posing risks of landslides and the collapse of houses, as per the agency's observations.
