Japan Earthquake: 155 jolts, 24 dead and several feared trapped; tsunami warnings lifted
Japan Earthquake: Since Monday, Japan has been hit by 155 earthquakes, including the main 7.6-magnitude jolt that struck Ishikawa and another over 6, according to the Japan Meteorological Office. According to them, the majority of the earthquakes had magnitudes greater than 3 on the Richter scale.
They also stated that, despite the fact that the intensity gradually decreased, at least six strong jolts were still felt on Tuesday.
The earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year's Day, according to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, caused "extensive" damage and numerous casualties. Authorities, he said, are in a "race against time" to save victims.
"Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses, and fires," Kishida said.
According to the news agency AFP, Japan has lifted all tsunami warnings.
So far, 24 people have been confirmed dead and several are feared trapped.
The earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa prefecture at 4:10 p.m. local time, with a depth of 10 kilometres (6 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.
Following the earthquake, buildings collapsed, fires broke out, and tsunami warnings were sent as far away as eastern Russia, while people in Japan's coastal areas were ordered to evacuate.
Meanwhile, a large fire broke out in the central Japanese city of Wajima on Monday evening after the quake shook the area, destroying over 100 shops and houses, according to NHK World.
According to the Nuclear Regulation Authority, there was a blast and a burning stench at the Shika nuclear power facility in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Although the operator claimed that a transformer had failed, backup mechanisms allowed the two nuclear reactors to continue operating normally. According to NHK World, major mobile phone providers in Japan claim that their services are being disrupted in earthquake-affected prefectures.
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