- Kyodo News via AP
Japan – Hundreds of buildings caught fire around Asaichi Street in the center of Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Monday after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Japan. Firefighters are still trying to extinguish the flames.
"The local fire department said more than 100 buildings caught fire around the famous Asaichi Street in the city center. Many of them are wooden shops, which are believed to have caught fire," Japanese media outlet NHK reported.
Wajima City was one of the hardest hit places by the earthquake, with the intensity of the quake being around 6 on the Richter scale.
Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, on Tuesday said that the massive quake had caused widespread damage and claimed many lives.
Gempa Bumi di Jepang
- Kyodo News via AP
"Very severe damage has been confirmed, including many fatalities, collapsed buildings, and fires," he stated.
"We have made every effort to gather information since yesterday evening, but road blockages have made access to the northern part of the Noto peninsula extremely difficult. Inspection from above via helicopter shows extensive damage including severed roads, landslides and fires," he continued.
The Prime Minister also mentioned: "We have been informed that 1,000 Self-Defense Force (SDF) personnel have arrived in the region. We have also received reports from other regional police forces that 634 disaster relief personnel and 2,039 firefighting personnel have arrived in the region,"
The Japan Meteorological Agency has now lifted all tsunami warnings along the Sea of Japan. This was done after a strong earthquake on Monday afternoon. Officials warned that strong aftershocks are possible in the next week, especially in the next two to three days.
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred on New Year's Day in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, shocked many people. It also triggered a major tsunami warning in the prefecture.
