(Observer News)
At about 21:38 today (7th), another 4.7-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Noto area of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. From the 1st to the 6th, more than 500 aftershocks have been experienced in the Noto area, and it seems that sleeping peacefully has become a luxury for those who are still living in evacuation shelters. "Spare me," a 77-year-old victim in Zhuzhou City, Ishikawa Prefecture, who was awakened by violent shaking in his sleep, cried to Japanese media.
According to the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK), as of 2 pm on the 7th, the death toll from the strong earthquake on the Noto Peninsula on the 1st rose to 128, including 69 in Wajima City, 38 in Suzu City, 11 in Ananomizu Town, 5 in Nanao City, 2 in Noto Town, 2 in Shiga Town, and 1 in Haza City. At least 560 people have been injured, 195 are missing, and nearly 30,000 people are in refuge.
The Yomiuri Shimbun said on the 7th that the 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture caused great damage to local infrastructure, and although tomorrow (8th) is a week after the earthquake, there is still no hope of restoring power and water supply in many areas, and communication is not good in many places. At present, the roads in the disaster area are seriously damaged, and the rain and snow weather are superimposed, and the disaster relief work is difficult.
According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency, Ishikawa Prefecture revealed on the 7th that about 2,300 people were isolated due to the disruption of roads due to the earthquake. The Self-Defense Forces have increased the number of people at the scene from about 5,000 to about 5,400, and are stepping up search and rescue efforts together with the police and others.
On the same day, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa arrived in Ukraine for a visit, and after talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba, she said that Japan would contribute about 37 million US dollars (about 5.3 billion yen) to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) fund to provide Ukraine with drone monitoring systems. Earlier, Fumio Kishida had said that the Japanese government is expected to use 4.74 billion yen (about 233 million yuan) of budget reserves to support the reconstruction of the disaster area.
On January 7, local time, in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, the rescue operation continued in heavy snowy weather. Image source: Visual China
The damage was higher than expected, and search and rescue efforts were difficult
Currently, about 66,000 households have been without water, about 23,000 households have been without electricity, and about 28,800 people have been evacuated to about 370 evacuation shelters. The 2016 Kumamoto 7.3 magnitude earthquake also left power out for as many as 480,000 households, but power was restored to almost all areas after six days, according to the report. Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ken Saito said on the 5th that the road damage in the earthquake-stricken area was worse than expected, and it was uncertain when the power supply would be restored.
Some people went into their garages to keep warm or slept in their cars overnight. The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said gasoline was a lifeline for victims sleeping in their cars. According to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as of the morning of the 7th, more than half (37) of the 69 gas stations in 6 towns in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula had already opened. There were long queues in front of some gas stations.
Due to the suspension of the base station function and the power outage, the line was damaged, and the mobile communication and data transmission in the disaster area were basically non-signal. According to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, as of 3 pm on the 7th, 544 mobile phone base stations in five towns including Wajima and Suzu have been out of service. According to the report, this is better than the situation when about 840 base stations were out of service on the 3rd, but there is no prospect of full recovery at present.
Due to road conditions and weather, search and rescue efforts are difficult. According to Kyodo News, after the earthquake, rescue workers were unable to get a full picture of the damage due to the special topography of the peninsula. In the hardest-hit areas of Wheelisland City and Zhuzhou City, the roads leading to the local areas have been interrupted due to landslides and ruptures, and it is not clear when they will be repaired, and search and rescue and assistance cannot be reached.
Rain and snow weather continues, and secondary disasters are warned
Since the evening of the 6th, there has been widespread rain and snow in the disaster area, and the temperature has dropped rapidly. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, light snow is expected along the mountains and mountains in the Hokuriku region at noon on the 7th and 8th, and heavy snow is expected in some areas and even flat areas. By the morning of the 8th, 30 cm of snow will fall in the mountains of the Noto Peninsula and 20 cm in the plains.
At present, Ishikawa Prefecture has announced the closure of roads such as National Highway 249, which surrounds the Noto Peninsula. In terms of railways, the JR Nanao Line between Takamatsu and Wakura Onsen has been suspended, and the Noto Railway's Third Division, which connects Nanao and Anasui, has been suspended. Noto Airport is also repairing multiple cracks in the runway, with all flights canceled and commercial aircraft operations expected to resume as early as January 25.
On January 7, local time, in Zhuzhou City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, in heavy snowy weather, workers left the scene after rescuing a person in cardiopulmonary arrest to search for missing people. Image source: Visual China
Ishikawa Prefecture appealed to the victims to be wary of hypothermia caused by severe cold. In addition, after a strong earthquake, the soil in the affected area becomes loose, and the rain and snow increase the risk of secondary hazards such as mudslides and building collapses, and the ice on the road surface will also make rescue efforts more difficult. On the 7th, Wajima City officials said at a prefectural meeting that the sand that had collapsed due to aftershocks and rainfall had blocked the river, and that if the heavy rain continued, it would be necessary to issue evacuation instructions in the downstream area, but that people would have "nowhere to retreat."
In Anasui Town, a landslide triggered by the earthquake engulfed three houses, killing five people and leaving seven missing. A 53-year-old man lost his son and his father-in-law in the accident, and his wife, two other sons and a daughter have not been heard from. The man said that according to the family practice, his wife and children will go back to their parents' house for the New Year on December 31, and he plans to drive from Kanazawa City to join on the evening of the 1st.
After the earthquake, the aftershocks continued, and the victims had lingering palpitations
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, more than 500 earthquakes occurred from the 1st to the 6th, with the "Noto Peninsula offshore" or "Noto area" as the epicenter, and the maximum aftershock recorded in the early morning of the 6th was a seismic intensity of 5 or higher.
At a shelter in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, a 77-year-old victim told reporters, "The aftershocks are continuous, and I can't sleep peacefully." Another 37-year-old victim said that he was awakened by the aftershocks in the early morning of the 6th, and said with a frightened face: "The entire gymnasium (evacuation site) is shaking, and there is no time to think about what to do." ”
At a shelter in Wajima City, a 54-year-old woman also confided her fear of the earthquake. "[When the aftershocks happened] everyone looked at each other, a lot of people snuggled up to each other, and the aftershocks didn't know how long they were going to last, and it was scary, and I couldn't sleep these days," she said. In Zhuzhou City, a 77-year-old victim cried: "As soon as I fell asleep, I was immediately woken up by strong shaking, and I didn't have time to rest. ”
At a critical juncture in disaster relief, the foreign minister's visit to Uja was controversial
At a meeting of the Emergency Response Headquarters on the 7th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the earthquake would be designated as a "specified extraordinary disaster" for those affected by the earthquake to be subject to special administrative measures. According to Reuters, he pledged to provide "uninterrupted" support to the affected areas, stressing that continuing to organize search and rescue efforts and address the isolation of the affected people is a priority issue that must be addressed now.
On the other hand, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on the 5th that Japan does not uniformly accept assistance from each country or region "considering the work required to establish a reception system and the local situation at the moment." "Based on this consideration, Japan is willing to work closely with the United States and accept U.S. assistance based on the damage and needs on the ground. ”
Also on the 7th, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa had arrived in Ukraine for a visit without announcing relevant information in advance. Kyodo News said that in the context of the protracted conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the weakening of international support, Kamikawa's visit once again emphasized Japan's position of insisting on support. She is expected to hold talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba and other Ukrainian officials, as well as attend ceremonies to provide large power supply equipment to Ukraine, among other events.
The visit to Ukraine at a key node of domestic disaster relief, Yoko Kamikawa's approach sparked controversy on the Japanese Internet. "Why go to Ukraine at this time? Is the Japanese foreign minister going to be the public relations department of Ukraine?"
Some netizens asked: "Hey, how much does it cost to support non-allied Ukraine!
According to Kyodo News, Yoko Kamikawa said after the talks on the same day that Japan will contribute about 37 million US dollars (about 5.3 billion yen) to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) fund to provide Ukraine with drone monitoring systems, etc.
Fumio Kishida said on the 5th that the Japanese government is expected to use 4.74 billion yen (about 233 million yuan) of budget reserves to support the reconstruction of the disaster area. Ishikawa Prefecture Governor Chihiro told reporters on the 6th that it may take up to several years to rebuild after the disaster, and "[it is expected] that it will not be able to recover in three or four years, and that we will take appropriate measures considering that we have to prepare for the long-term evacuation life."
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