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by Tim Kelly and Chang-Ran Kim
Multiple earthquakes shook central Japan on Monday, leading authorities to evacuate parts of the west coast, cutting power to thousands of homes and disrupting flights and train services.
The quake, measuring 7.6 magnitude, triggered waves of around 1 meter along parts of the Sea of Japan coast, with a larger wave expected, public broadcaster NHK reported. North Korea, South Korea and Russia have also issued warnings to their populations.
According to NHK, at least one person died in a building collapse in Ishikawa Prefecture. This assessment is provisional, with rescue teams struggling to reach certain areas made difficult to access by the accumulation of debris.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama, the first major warnings since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.
Some houses were destroyed and soldiers were dispatched to help with rescue operations, government spokesman Hayashi Yoshimasa told reporters, adding that authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage.
Even stronger earthquakes in the region, where seismic activity has been brewing for more than three years, could occur in the coming days, JMA official Toshihiro Shimoyama said.
In remarks to the press shortly after the earthquake, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also warned residents to prepare for other disasters.
“Residents should remain alert for possible earthquakes and I urge residents in areas where tsunamis are expected to evacuate as soon as possible,” Kishida said.
“Run!” a bright yellow warning appeared on television screens, advising residents in certain areas of the coast to immediately evacuate their homes.
Images broadcast by local media showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the coastal town of Suzu and a huge crack in a road in Wajima where panicked parents hugged their children. The quake also shook buildings in the capital Tokyo, about 500 km from Wajima on the opposite coast.
(Tokyo editorial team; French version Nicolas Delame)