Earthquake Japan: Homes buried Under Landslide, Millions Without Power
Earthquake Japan: Homes buried Under Landslide, Millions Without Power
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, leading landslides that crushed homes.
The magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck southern Hokkaido at 3:08 a.m. at the depth of 40 kilometers (24 miles), Japan’s Meteorological Agency said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that two people had been confirmed dead. He did not give details.
125 people were injured and nearly 40 are feared missing, reports said. Hokkaido’s local disaster agency put the number of injured at 48.
Reconstruction Minister Jiro Akama told reporters that five people were believed to be buried in the town’s Yoshino district. Some of the 40 people stranded there were airlifted to safer grounds, NHK said.
Airports and many roads on the island were closed following the early morning quake. NHK showed workers rushing to clean up shattered glass and reinstall ceiling panels that had tumbled down in the region’s biggest airport at Chitose.
-PTC News
