‘Battle against time’ to find those trapped under rubble as death toll rises
Gavin Blair
Japan’s prime minister has said the country is facing a “battle against time” to rescue those affected by a series of major earthquakes which reportedly killed at least 48 people, injured dozens and sparked fires that destroyed homes.
Police and local authorities early on Tuesday reported cases of bodies being pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings while others remained trapped.
“We must rescue them as quickly as possible, especially those who are trapped under collapsed structures,” Fumio Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting.
One thousand army personnel have been dispatched to the worst-hit area in the country’s relatively remote Noto peninsula, but rescue operations have been hindered by badly damaged and blocked roads and one of the area’s airports has been forced to close due to runway cracks.
In Wajima city, fires were still burning at 7am local time on Tuesday and the fire department reports more than 100 homes and other buildings have been completely destroyed. At least 15 of the dead were in Wajima city, the the Kyodo news agency said.
The worst-affected area was around the Asachi-dori street, a district popular with visitors and known for its many wooden buildings. The cause and casualty numbers were currently unclear.
The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6 at a shallow depth of 10km, struck on the west coast of Japan’s main island on Monday and shook buildings in Tokyo, around 300km away.
Key events
A total of 379 passengers and crew members on the Japan Airlines plane that caught fire landing at Haneda Airport have reportedly been evacuated, NHK reports.
Passengers evacuated from Japan Airlines flight
Roughly 400 people on board a Japan Airlines plane that is now on fire at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport have evacuated, Reuters reports citing NHK.
Here’s what we know about the situation at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
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A Japan Airlines plane appears to have struck a Japan Coast Guard plane as it was coming in to land at Tokyo’s Haneda airport.
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Japan Coast Guard said it was looking into whether its plane collided with the airline flight.
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Footage shows a Japan Airlines plane on fire and surrounded by smoke on the ground, with crews around it trying to extinguish the flames.
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It is not yet clear if the coastguard plane had anything to do with rescue efforts for the quake or whether there are casualties.
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A spokesperson for the airline said the plane carries more than 300 passengers, Reuters reports. It is unclear where the passengers are at the moment.
Gavin Blair contributed reporting
Plane on fire at Tokyo airport
A Japan Airlines aircraft is on fire at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, NHK reports, adding that work is ongoing to extinguish the fire.
Live footage of the plane, surrounded by smoke, can be seen here.
More details soon.
World leaders extend condolences to Japan
Officials across the globe have expressed their solidarity with Japan.
Solidarité avec le Japon qui doit surmonter les conséquences de forts séismes.
Nous partageons l’immense douleur des familles des victimes.
Cher @kishida230, tu peux compter sur le soutien et l’aide de la France.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 1, 2024
L’Italia è al fianco del popolo giapponese in questo momento difficile. Rivolgo al Primo Ministro @kishida230 le condoglianze per le vittime del terremoto. Siamo pronti a fornire al Giappone tutto l’aiuto e il sostegno necessari.
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) January 1, 2024
Here are the latest images from Japan, as the country grapples with damage resulting from yesterday’s massive earthquake and its aftermath.
Earthquake may have shifted land up to 1.3 meters
The massive earthquake that hit Japan yesterday may have shifted land near the epicenter up to 1.3 meters to the west, public broadcaster NHK reports, citing Japan’s Geospatial Information Authority.
The geospatial authority said that preliminary figures indicate that an observation point in Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture moved about 1.3 meters to the west, and that there was a westward shift of about 1 meter in Anamizu Town and 80 centimetres in Suzu City.
South Korea sends complaint to Japan over tsunami alerts displaying disputed islets
South Korea has offered Japan condolences but also raised concerns over a tsunami advisory that included a map of a group of its islands also claimed by Tokyo, Reuters reported.
Lim Soo-suk, a spokesperson of the South Korean foreign ministry, said:
Our government has sternly protested to Japan through a diplomatic channel and requested corrective action.
Japan continuing to experience smaller earthquakes.
Here is the latest earthquake activity map, from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
‘Battle against time’ to find those trapped under rubble as death toll rises
Gavin Blair
Japan’s prime minister has said the country is facing a “battle against time” to rescue those affected by a series of major earthquakes which reportedly killed at least 48 people, injured dozens and sparked fires that destroyed homes.
Police and local authorities early on Tuesday reported cases of bodies being pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings while others remained trapped.
“We must rescue them as quickly as possible, especially those who are trapped under collapsed structures,” Fumio Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting.
One thousand army personnel have been dispatched to the worst-hit area in the country’s relatively remote Noto peninsula, but rescue operations have been hindered by badly damaged and blocked roads and one of the area’s airports has been forced to close due to runway cracks.
In Wajima city, fires were still burning at 7am local time on Tuesday and the fire department reports more than 100 homes and other buildings have been completely destroyed. At least 15 of the dead were in Wajima city, the the Kyodo news agency said.
The worst-affected area was around the Asachi-dori street, a district popular with visitors and known for its many wooden buildings. The cause and casualty numbers were currently unclear.
The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6 at a shallow depth of 10km, struck on the west coast of Japan’s main island on Monday and shook buildings in Tokyo, around 300km away.
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