It has been almost 13 years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear accident at Fukushima.
But the memories of Japan are still vivid. On Monday, they will all be brought into focus when began to shake in Ishikawa.
In Japan, warnings like these are commonplace.
When I moved in, I used to jump out of bed with the slightest shake of our building.
Within months, however, I had learned to sleep through the tremors. In Japan, earthquakes are a regular part of everyday life. Up to a certain point, you get used to them.
You still have that feeling at the back of your head. When will the next big thing happen? What is the quality of our building?
During two minutes, the earth was shaken in a manner that no one had ever experienced before. It continued to go on and on and on.
Anyone who has lived through it will be able to tell you exactly where they were, and how scared they felt. But the worst was yet to come.
In less than 40 minutes, the first waves were crashing ashore. They swept away villages and towns for hundreds of kilometers along Japan’s northeast coast. A news helicopter hovering above the city of Sendai broadcasted the event live.
Fires in Wajima were still burning Tuesday morning at 7am local, and according to the fire department, more than 100 houses and other buildings had been destroyed. The Kyodo News Agency reported that at least 15 people were killed in Wajima.
Asachi-dori, a popular tourist district known for its wooden buildings, was the worst affected area. At this time, the cause of the fire and number of casualties are unknown.
The earthquakes, of which the largest had a magnitude 7.6 and were at a shallow of 10km struck the west coast of Japan’s main island Monday, and also shook Tokyo, about 300km away.
There are many deaths and injuries on the peninsula that protrudes out into the Sea of Japan. In Nanao, more than 30 people have been taken to hospital. A woman in her 50s was confirmed dead. There were reports of other residents in the area being found unconscious, trapped under rubble, or missing.
The Meteorological Agency warned that aftershocks may hit the affected areas in the coming days. Residents of coastal areas are being advised not to return home despite the tsunami warnings having been lifted.
NHK TV, the Japanese public broadcaster, warned at first that torrents could reach a height of five metres. People were evacuated from sports halls and schools as well as other public buildings.
Overnight rescue efforts
Prime Minister Kishida announced Tuesday that members of Japan’s Self Defense Force joined emergency fire and police teams to rescue people from areas devastated overnight.
Rescue efforts are a race against time. He said that the immediate rescue of victims from collapsed buildings was essential.
NHK reported that the Japanese fire department responded to reports on Monday of trapped people under damaged buildings.
NHK, citing Ishikawa police, confirmed that an elderly man, who was pulled from a collapsed house during the earthquake, had died.
