Japan struggles to rescue earthquake victims

Japan was still struggling to assess the extent of the damage caused by an earthquake that struck off its coast on Tuesday, leaving at least 10 people dead and buildings and major roads destroyed, with widespread power outages in icy areas.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck mid-afternoon on January 1 across a large area of Japan's coast, forcing residents in some coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground as tsunami waves as high as 1 meter (3 feet) hit the west coast.

Thousands of military personnel, firefighters and police from across Japan have been dispatched to the worst-hit area on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture to carry out rescue and relief operations.

Rescue efforts were hampered, however, by severe damage and blockage of roads, while one of the area's airports was forced to close due to a cracked runway. Many rail, ferry and flight services to the area were also suspended.

"Searching and rescuing those affected by the earthquake is a race against time," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at an emergency meeting on the disaster on January 2.

Rescuers had difficulty reaching the northern tip of the Noto Peninsula due to damaged roads, Kishida said, adding that helicopter surveys had found numerous fires and extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said more than 140 aftershocks have been detected since the quake struck. The agency warned that more strong aftershocks could occur in the coming days.

The JMA also issued a tsunami warning for a large area of the western coast, including Ishikawa, Fukui, Niigata, Toyama, Yamagata and several other prefectures after the strong earthquakes. A major tsunami warning was issued for Ishikawa prefecture.

This is the first time a major tsunami warning has been issued since the 2011 earthquake in northeastern Japan. The JMA and the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that hazardous tsunami waves of up to 5 meters (16 feet) could be generated within 300 kilometers of the epicenter along the Japanese coast.

Nobuko Sugimori, a 74-year-old resident of Nanao City in Ishikawa Prefecture, said she had never experienced such an earthquake before.

Fujiko Ueno, 73, said that nearly 20 people were in her house celebrating the New Year when the quake struck, but miraculously none of them were injured. “It all happened in a flash,” Ueno said as she stood amid debris and mud seeping from the cracked pavement.

On the evening of January 1, the Japanese government issued an evacuation order for more than 97,000 residents, sending them to school gymnasiums and sports halls, which are often used as evacuation centers in case of emergency.

Japan has lowered its tsunami warning to its highest level, but asked people in coastal areas not to return home because deadly waves could still hit. However, many people returned home on Tuesday when the tsunami warning was lifted.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

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