TOKYO—A powerful, shallow offshore earthquake struck central Japan on Friday afternoon, killing at least one person and wounding more than 20 others, as well as upsetting holiday preparations.
The magnitude 6.2 quake struck Ishikawa prefecture on Japan's main island of Honshu, the USGS reported. According to the Geological Survey. The quake was centered at a depth of roughly 12 kilometers (7.5 miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Since then, more than 50 aftershocks of sufficient size have been reported, including one of 5.8 magnitude on Friday night.
The majority of casualties and property damage were reported at Suzu, located near the northern point of Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. One person died after falling off a ladder, while 22 others were hurt, two of them were badly. The remainder were minor injuries.
According to the prefectural crisis management bureau, around 100 residents sought refuge in evacuation centers on Friday night. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, one injury was recorded in the adjacent prefecture of Toyama.
A number of houses were also damaged. Some homeowners put blue plastic tarps over damaged areas of their homes on Saturday morning, anticipating rain in the evening.
NHK public television presented a footage showing a part of a slope that had crumbled and fallen on a home. It also aired a video shot by a staff member while visiting a cousin in Ishikawa prefecture, which showed a room shaking for over half a minute and picture frames rattling on the walls. This week in Japan, numerous national holidays are observed.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who arrived Friday night from a multilateral tour to Africa and Singapore, extended condolences to quake victims and encouraged locals to "exercise extreme caution" in the face of probable powerful aftershocks and subsequent mudslides.
East Japan Railway Co. stated that bullet trains between Tokyo and Kanazawa in Ishikawa prefecture were momentarily suspended for safety inspections but have now resumed normal operations, although with considerable delays.
According to the Nuclear Regulation Authority, there were no anomalies at the area's nuclear power stations.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on the planet. A major earthquake in the country's northeast in 2011 triggered a disastrous tsunami and nuclear power plant meltdown.
