A new earthquake has just hit the Noto area in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, near the epicenter of the earthquake disaster that swept the country on New Year’s Day.
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper quoted a statement from the Japan Meteorological Agency saying that a new earthquake, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, occurred in the Noto peninsula area of Ishikawa province at about 10:54 local time this morning (March 3). first). The epicenter was at a depth of about 10km and is not expected to cause a tsunami.
At the same time, the earthquake measured in Wajima city was level 5 and other cities in Ishikawa prefecture, including Nanao, Nakanoto, Anamizu and Noto, were level 4 on Japan’s 7-level seismic intensity scale.
The meteorological agency did not mention whether there was any loss of life or property in the new incident. Meanwhile, officials reported that at least 64 people were killed by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan on the afternoon of January 1.
Authorities are still urgently carrying out search, rescue and recovery work in Ishikawa province, the place most heavily affected by the natural disaster. As of the morning of January 3, some villages were still isolated and tens of thousands of people were still without power because the earthquake destroyed infrastructure and caused fires that destroyed many structures.
Local authorities have not yet determined the full scale of the disaster. Meanwhile, rescue work was hindered by damaged roads and debris clogging the transportation system.
According to Kyodo news agency, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of the possibility of landslides in Ishikawa province due to rain forecast to last until January 4. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are expected to use helicopters to transport supplies to isolated places.
Local authorities have asked the central government to send more SDF personnel to help carry out the relief mission. Speaking at a press conference today, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the government has decided to double the number of SDF members going to the earthquake area, from the current 1,000 people to 2,000 people.
Mr. Kishida also emphasized that the collision between a passenger plane of Japan Airlines and a relief cargo plane of the Japan Coast Guard at Haneda Airport, Tokyo on the evening of January 2 did not affect the transfer. supplies to Noto and surrounding areas.
Authorities are racing against time to rescue earthquake victims, after receiving information about a number of people buried alive or trapped under collapsed houses in Ishikawa Prefecture.