According to CCTV News, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency, on the afternoon of January 1, a number of shallow earthquakes occurred in the coastal areas of central Japan, of which the highest magnitude occurred at about 15:10 Beijing time, with a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale, and the epicenter was located in the Noto area of Ishikawa Prefecture. At around 6:13 local time on the 2nd, a magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred in the sea near the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, with an epicenter depth of 10 kilometers.
According to Xinhua News Agency, citing the Japan Broadcasting Association, as of 9 o'clock local time on the 2nd, eight people have died in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, due to the earthquake. The Chinese Embassy in Japan said there were no reports of casualties among Chinese citizens.
All tsunami warnings have been lifted in coastal areas along the Sea of Japan
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on the morning of the 2nd that all tsunami warnings for coastal areas in the Sea of Japan have been lifted.
The earthquake caused power outages and traffic disruptions in many places
According to a report by the Japan Broadcasting Association on January 1 local time, affected by the earthquake, the Hokuriku Shinkansen is in a state of suspension, and the Joetsu Shinkansen, Tohoku Shinkansen, Tokaido Shinkansen and other lines are currently gradually recovering after being suspended for a time.
In terms of highways, some sections of the Hokuriku Expressway, Tokai Hokuriku Expressway, Joshinetsu and other expressways are closed.
Hokuriku Electric Power Company announced that about 32,940 households in Ishikawa Prefecture are currently without power. Tohoku Electric Power Company said about 3,600 households in Niigata Prefecture were without power.
Affected by the earthquake, mobile phone communication has been difficult in some areas.
The earthquake caused the two nuclear power plants to overflow water from the spent fuel pools
According to Japanese media reports, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on January 1 that it had confirmed that the reactors of units 2, 3, 6 and 7 of the Kashiwazaki Kariba Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture "overflowed due to earthquake shaking, but did not flow outside the building and did not affect the outside world." The water contains radioactive material, the level of which is being determined.
Earlier, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Commission said on the 1st that an external power supply system at the Shiga Nuclear Power Plant in Ishikawa Prefecture had failed. In addition, water in the spent fuel pool of the Shiga Nuclear Power Plant overflowed into the surrounding area due to the shaking of the earthquake, but the monitoring stations measuring the radiation intensity around the nuclear power plant showed the same level as normal, and the radioactive material did not affect the outside.
Chinese in Japan:
The car is desperately running in the opposite direction to the sea
On January 1, local time, an earthquake struck the Noto region of Japan. While the Japanese Chinese Xu Xilan and his family were on their way to Kanazawa, they witnessed the earthquake firsthand. Mr. Xu said in an interview that when the earthquake struck, about five of his family's seven people had their mobile phones ringing earthquake sirens while they saw power poles shaking.
"We were going to see the Sea of Japan, so we drove to a beach in the Sea of Japan," Mr. Xu said. About 5 of the 7 of us had their phones ringing, and everyone said it was an earthquake. I just stopped the car and the earthquake sirens sounded on my phone. Then we were ready to stay away from the beach, because we received information that there might be a tsunami, and the wave height could be up to 5 meters, so we drove desperately in the opposite direction of the sea. ”
Mr. Koh said that at present, they have been given information that the Shinkansen has been suspended and the highway has been closed. For the sake of safety, they decided to take a look at the situation before deciding on the next step in their trip. "If we're driving back, we'll have to go through Nagano if we take the normal road," he says. As we were walking through Nagano, we felt that dangerous accidents such as rockfalls might occur, so we were prepared to stay in the parking lot and gather some information before making a judgment. ”
Affected by a strong earthquake in Japan
Tsunami warnings have been issued in many countries
After the earthquake, the Korea Meteorological Agency reported that an earthquake and tsunami were observed in the east coast of South Korea. The Korea Meteorological Agency said that "the earthquake and tsunami may last for more than 24 hours," reminding nearby residents to confirm relevant information.
After a strong earthquake struck Japan, the Korean Central Radio issued a tsunami warning off the east coast of North Korea.
The emergency department of the Primorsky Territory of Russia released a message saying that due to the impact of the earthquake in Japan, waves in some coastal areas of the region can reach about 1.2 meters. A tsunami warning has also been issued in Russia's Khabarovsk Territory.
The Chinese Embassy in Japan reminds compatriots in Japan to take precautions against earthquake and tsunami disasters
The Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a document on the 1st, reminding compatriots in Japan to pay close attention to meteorological warnings and disaster prevention information, follow the disaster prevention reminders to take emergency shelter, stay away from the sea, and ensure personal safety. In case of emergency, call the Japanese emergency number in time and contact the embassy or consulate in Japan for help.
Emergency numbers in Japan: 119 (firefighting, first aid), 118 (marine accidents, shipwrecks), 110 (police)
Japan Meteorological Agency Chinese Information Website:
https://www.data.jma.go.jp/multi/index.html?lang=cn_zs
Global Emergency Hotline for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (24 hours):
+86-10-12308；+86-10-65612308
Consular Protection and Assistance Hotline of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Japan is +81-3-6450-2195
Consular Protection and Assistance of the Consulate General in Osaka: +81-6-6445-9427
Consulate General in Fukuoka for Consular Protection and Assistance: +81-92-753-6483
Consular Protection and Assistance of the Consulate General in Sapporo: +81-11-513-5335
Consular Protection and Assistance of the Consulate General in Nagasaki: +81-95-849-3311
Consular Protection and Assistance of the Consulate General in Nagoya: +81-52-932-1036
Consulate General in Niigata for Consular Protection and Assistance: +81-25-228-8888
Source: CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency
Editor-in-charge: Zhu Meirong
Editor: Anne Xu