"A very strong earthquake, measuring 7.5 on the scale, hit the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. It happened at about 4:10 pm local time and was confirmed by the US Geological Survey (USGS). Japan's weather agency reported it as a 7.6 magnitude quake. This was one of over 50 earthquakes of at least 3.2 magnitude that happened in the region on New Year's Day, a time when families gather and visit shrines, over a few hours."
"TV channels stopped regular shows to share urgent messages. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida advised folks in risky areas to leave for higher places quickly. An alarmed presenter on NHK told people to prioritize their lives over belongings and rush to the safest high ground.
Around ten minutes after the big earthquake, waves about 1.2 meters tall hit Wajima port. Smaller tsunamis were reported in various places, even reaching as far as Hokkaido, the northernmost island.
Initially, Japan Meteorological Agency war
ned of a 'big tsunami,' possibly up to five meters high. Thankfully, no major incidents occurred, and they later lowered the warning to waves up to three meters. The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, after about four hours, mentioned that the tsunami risk had mostly passed along the 300-kilometer coast."
"People were really scared," said an old man on NHK TV. "When the ground shook, I rushed outside." A young boy added, "Seeing the power poles shake was scary."
The Japanese government is still figuring out how much damage there is and if anyone got hurt from the earthquake, which even shook Tokyo, about 300 kilometers away.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, a government spokesperson, mentioned six people might be trapped under collapsed buildings, but didn't give more details.
TV images showed a big fire in Wajima, burning down houses. People were evacuating in the dark, some wrapped in blankets and others holding babies.
"A big fire broke out. We're not sure how many houses are affected," said a firefighter from Wajima Fire Department to AFP.
"Currently, we have four fire trucks at the scene," the firefighter said. But damaged roads are making it hard for more equipment to get there.
The fire department received many calls reporting injured people stuck in collapsed buildings.
About 33,500 homes in Toyama, Ishikawa, and Niigata prefectures lost power near the earthquake's center.
A video on social media showed rows of wooden houses destroyed by the quake, with walls and roofs collapsed.
A person in the video from Matsunami district in Noto pleaded for help, saying, "Our town is in a terrible situation."
Officials in Sakhalin island and Vladivostok, Russia, were on alert for a possible tsunami after the earthquakes in Japan.
BULLET TRAIN SUSPEND
"Many main roads near the center were shut," said Japan's road operator. The high-speed Shinkansen trains between Tokyo and the epicenter were stopped too.
Japan faces lots of earthquakes yearly, but most don't cause harm. The country has strict building rules to make sure buildings can handle strong quakes. It regularly practices emergency drills for big earthquakes.
Still, Japan remembers the huge 9.0-magnitude quake in 2011. It caused a tsunami that killed around 18,500 people. Three reactors at Fukushima nuclear plant melted down, creating Japan's worst disaster since World War II and a major nuclear accident, similar to Chernobyl.
On Monday, Japan's nuclear authority said that there were no problems at the Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa or at any other nuclear plants after the recent earthquake.
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