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A video of a Japanese bullet train station getting rocked by the recent earthquake that occurred in Japan on January 1, 2024, has gone viral on social media.
The footage was captured by someone sitting inside the train, which was violently shaking. Lights flickered and the shaking caused the LED display to swing back and forth, as seen in the video.
According to Reuters, the 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit central Japan on Monday. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning, urging people near the coastal areas to evacuate to high land or the top of nearby buildings as soon as possible.
A New Year's Day nightmare unfolds as a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hits central Japan
People in Ishikawa and nearby prefectures woke up to a shocking New Year's Day as a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit central Japan, triggering a tsunami warning for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama, Reuters reported. The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that a tsunami of up to 5m can be expected.
People near the coastal areas of Ishikawa, Niigata, Toyama, and Yamagata prefectures are advised to evacuate to high ground as waves of up to 1.2m high were believed to have reached Noto in Ishikawa already around 4:21 pm, as reported by the Japanese broadcaster, NHK.
A tsunami warning for waves up to 3m was issued from Hokkaido to Nagasaki, across the Sea of Japan, according to The Japan Times. The tsunami is also expected to target Yamagata and Hyogo prefectures.
0.8m tall waves reached Toyama Prefecture around 4:35 pm and 0.4m tall waves also reached Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, at 4:36 pm. Niigata's Sado Island also saw high tidal waves at 4:10 pm.
Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida's office, asked authorities to “take thorough measures to prevent damage, such as the evacuation of residents.” Government spokesman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stated:
"Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately."
Tsunami warnings were also issued for some parts of North Korea and Russia, including parts of Sakhalin Island's western coast and the mainland cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka, according to Sky News.
The earthquake rocks Ishikawa, with the resulting aftershocks causing more damage
The intensity of the earthquake was felt by residents across Tokyo and Kanto. The resulting aftershocks struck the Noto Peninsula. As of 5 pm, seven quakes have been recorded in the Noto area and 11 across all of Japan.
According to Reuters, Hokuriku Electric Power stated that they are checking for any irregularities in their nuclear power plants. A spokesperson for Kansai Electric Power also stated that as of now, there are "no abnormalities" at their nuclear power plants, but the plants are nevertheless being monitored closely.
As per Sky News, the quake caused several buildings to collapse and more than 36,000 homes lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures. A spokesperson for The Japan Meteorological Agency also said that there was a risk of fire, collapsing houses, and landslides in the areas hit by strong quakes.
According to the Independent, the Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the tsunami warning issued for Ishikawa was the first of its kind since the March 11, 2011 earthquake. Japan had not issued this level of alert before that.
The catastrophic 2011 earthquake, followed by a tsunami, registered a magnitude of over 9 on the Richter scale, destroying towns and triggering a nuclear meltdown in the Fukushima power plant. It is said to be the strongest earthquake in the history of Japan, killing more than 15,000 people and leaving more than 450,000 people homeless.
