A massive magnitude-7.6 earthquake has struck Central Japan, leaving thousands of homes without power. Residents in the affected areas have been advised to evacuate immediately amid Tsunami warnings.
A succession of 21 earthquakes registering 4.0 magnitude or stronger struck central Japan in just over 90 minutes on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The strongest tremor hit at 16:10 local time (07:10 GMT), measuring 7.6, the BBC reported
“More strong quakes in the area, where seismic activity has been simmering for more than three years, could occur over coming days,” JMA official Toshihiro Shimoyama said.
![Road cracks caused by an earthquake are seen in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan [Kyodo via Reuters]](https://i0.wp.com/malawi24.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Japan-Erthquake.webp?resize=640%2C480)
Japanese Public broadcaster NHK reported that officials of Ishikawa Prefecture’s Suzu City have confirmed several houses and power poles have collapsed leaving 36,000 homes without power.
The BBC reported that major highways were closed near the epicentre of Monday’s quake
According to Reuters, a bright yellow warning saying “Run” flashed across television screens advising residents in specific areas of the coast to immediately evacuate their homes.
Speaking to the press shortly after the quake struck, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also warned residents to prepare for more disasters.
“Residents need to stay on alert for further possible quakes and I urge people in areas where tsunamis are expected to evacuate as soon as possible,” Kishida said.
Meanwhile, Japan’s nuclear authority has said there is “no risk of radioactivity leaking from nuclear power plants” in the areas affected by the earthquakes and tsunami.
In 2011, earthquake and tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and devastated towns and nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima in Japan.
