6.5-magnitude quake shakes central Japan; one dead
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A collapsed house in Suzu city, following an earthquake that hit Japan's central Ishikawa region on May 5.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
TOKYO - A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Friday, killing one person and forcing a brief suspension of bullet train services, but no tsunami warning was issued, the authorities said.
The 6.5-magnitude quake hit the central Ishikawa region at 2.42pm (1.42pm Singapore time) at a depth of 12km, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told an emergency press conference that one person was in cardiac arrest after the quake, but gave no further details. One person died after reportedly falling off a ladder in the city of Suzu, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.
Shinkansen bullet trains were suspended between Nagano and Kanazawa, a popular tourist destination, but resumed less than two hours later, according to Japan Railway. There were no confirmed reports of casualties or damage.
Friday is a public holiday in Japan, part of a run of days off known as the “Golden Week”, a time when many people travel for leisure or to visit family.
In Suzu, the quake registered an upper six on the Japanese Shindo seismic scale, which goes up to a maximum of seven, meaning it could cause major landslides.
The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 6.2 and said it struck just off the coast, but the Japan Meteorological Agency placed the epicentre on land.
The government has set up an earthquake response centre headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, said Mr Matsuno.
“Prime Minister Kishida instructed us to do everything in our power for relief and rescue,” he added.
In reply to a query on whether the quake would affect plans for Mr Kishida to visit South Korea from Sunday, Mr Matsuno said: “We will take whatever action is necessary, depending on the damage and impact from the earthquake.”
Earthquakes are common in Japan, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through South-east Asia and across the Pacific basin.
However, the country has strict construction regulations intended to ensure buildings can withstand strong quakes, and routinely holds emergency drills to prepare for a major jolt.
A 6.9-magnitude quake struck a fishing village on the Noto peninsula in the same region in 2007, injuring hundreds and damaging more than 200 buildings. The Noto peninsula is a rural area on the Sea of Japan coast known for its natural scenery and seafood. The peninsula’s population is around 340,000, according to 2015 census data.
Japan is haunted by the memory of a massive 9-magnitude undersea quake off its north-east in March 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.
The 2011 tsunami also sent three reactors into meltdown
Mr Matsuno told reporters in Tokyo that no abnormalities had been detected at the Shiga and Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plants in the area affected by Friday’s quake. “Some sea-level changes are expected but there is no tsunami risk,” he said.
Professor Kenji Satake from the University of Tokyo’s Earthquake Research Institute told public broadcaster NHK that aftershocks would likely continue for a week.
“The Noto region has been quite seismically active in recent years,” he said.
In March 2022, a 7.4-magnitude quake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing several people.
The capital Tokyo was devastated by a huge earthquake in 1923. AFP, REUTERS
