Earthquakes Death Toll Rises to 48 in Japan

January 2, 2024 Hour: 7:50 am

The death toll has risen to 48 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa as of 3:30 p.m. local time, after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity, with aftershocks and more damage reports coming in.

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Strong Earthquakes Hit Japan

In its latest update, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said a 4.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the Noto Peninsula at 5:13 p.m. local time on Tuesday at a depth of 10 km, measuring upper 5.

As of 11 a.m. local time, 57,360 people evacuated in 955 locations across quake-affected Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

Water supply has been cut in a total of 16 cities and towns in the quake-hit Noto region. Approximately 1,000 Self-Defense Force officers have arrived at the disaster area to carry out rescue operations.

�� | Drone footage captured on Tuesday (January 2) unveils the aftermath of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck central Japan on Monday (January 1).#EarthquakeJapan #Japan #Tsunami pic.twitter.com/LTRLTYfh0o

— Breaking News (@PlanetReportHQ)
January 2, 2024

On Tuesday, the JMA said the earthquake, which measured the country’s maximum seismic intensity of 7, recorded a maximum three-component vector sum peak ground acceleration of 28,266 gals.

The figure is comparable to the 29,334 gals recorded in Kuriyama city, Miyagi prefecture, which also experienced a top-intensity quake during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

It is generally assumed that the greater the acceleration, the larger the shaking and damage, but other factors such as the duration of the shaking also play a role.

Japan started the new year with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake and many aftershocks ��.

The earthquake occurred in Noto/Ishikawa at 10:24 Japan time. A tsunami alert was issued in coastal areas.

Shocking !! �� #TheLordJudgesSin pic.twitter.com/P2LCoBq65g

— Julius �� (@J_Kikwai)
January 2, 2024

Injuries are reported in the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, Fukui, Toyama, and Gifu. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that relief efforts are being hampered by obstructions on the roads.

“This is also making it difficult to send heavy machinery. We’re thinking about ways to secure routes and using ships could be one option,” he stated.

A series of strong earthquakes, with major ones of up to a preliminary 7.6 magnitude, occurred on Monday at a shallow depth on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. The JMA has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

The JMA has lifted all tsunami advisories along the Sea of Japan following the quake, but weather officials warned that strong aftershocks may occur in the week, especially over the next two to three days. Since Monday, Japan has been hit by at least 155 quakes.