The Kyodo news agency reports that at least four people died this Monday, January 1 in Japan after a series of earthquakes struck the center of the country in the morning. US President Joe Biden said the United States stood “ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Japanese people”.
Japanese authorities have confirmed the deaths of four people after the powerful earthquake that shook Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday. A series of earthquakes shook the archipelago on Monday, the strongest, measuring 7.5, hitting Ishikawa Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan side of the main island of Honshu, at 4:10 p.m. ( 7:10 a.m. GMT), according to the American Institute of Geophysics (USGS).
Television channels interrupted their normal services by broadcasting special programs. During one of them, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged residents in dangerous areas to “evacuate as soon as possible” to higher ground.
The United States “ready to provide any necessary assistance”
“We realize that your home and possessions are precious to you, but your lives are more important than anything! Run to the highest ground possible,” an NHK TV presenter told viewers. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara announced that 1,000 troops were preparing to go to the region, while another 8,500 were also standing by. Around twenty military planes were sent to assess the damage.
For his part, American President Joe Biden said that the United States stood “ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Japanese people”, recalling that Washington and Tokyo were “close allies”.