Earthquake in Japan of magnitude 7.6 and tsunami LIVE, news, aftershocks and latest news on victims and damages

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the Ishikawa prefecture on Monday, January 1, 2024, on the western coast of central Japan. Japan, and forced the authorities to activate a tsunami alert in much of the archipelago, in addition to causing significant damage and leaving at least six people buried under the rubble. The earthquake, which was felt even in Tokyo, occurred on the Noto Peninsula at 4:10 p.m. (7:10 GMT) and initially the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) estimated that the tremor had been of magnitude 7.4, although it later revised it. up by two tenths.

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Likewise, the agency initially said that the earthquake It occurred near the ground and later placed its hypocenter at a depth of 16 kilometers.

He earthquake It reached a magnitude of 7 on the closed Japanese scale of 7, which focuses on the destructive capacity of the tremors rather than the intensity.

Wajima, the most affected town

Images broadcast on Japanese television or on social networks showed the great strength of the earthquake and its destructive power, especially in the town of Wajima (about 500 kilometers west of Tokyo), where The most serious damage appears to have been recorded.

In this city of about 27,000 inhabitants At least 30 single-family homes have suffered serious damageleaving at least six people buried under the rubble, and a building has collapsed.

He earthquake has also caused a big fire in this town.

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Until 9:00 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT) Almost 60 aftershocks of the earthquake had been recorded and the JMA has warned that more tremors reaching Japanese level 7 are very likely over the next week.

The earthquake also damaged roads and highways in the region. and forced the movement of several high-speed train lines to temporarily stop.

More than 30,000 homes without electricity have been reported in Ishikawa and another 3,600 in neighboring Niigata in the same situation, although the Japanese authorities have said that at least no damage has been detected in any of the country’s nuclear power plants.

Alert for possible waves of up to five meters

He earthquake forced in turn to activate the alert by possible arrival of waves up to five meters high in Ishikawa prefecture and for waves of up to three meters for the prefectures of Fukui, Toyama, Hyogo, Niigata and Yamagata.

An alert was also implemented for tsunamis of up to one meter for the entire western coast of the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido and the north of the island Kyushu.

The intensity of earthquake and the seriousness of the alert forced the presenters of Japanese public radio and television NHK almost shoutingly urging the people who were in the area to move to places at height.

In Wajima the waves reached 1.2 meters high, and other locations along Japan’s western coast reported sea level rises below one meter.

Even the neighboring authorities South Korea They reported that the coast of the province of Gangwonwhich looks at the sea Japan (called the East Sea in both Koreas), received waves of between 20 and 45 centimeters

Fortunately, the water has not caused damage even in Japan nor in South Korea, although the JMA alert is expected to remain activated for several more hours.

For the moment the agency has decided to lower only the alert that affected Ishikawa, where possible waves of up to three meters instead of five are now expected.