TOKYO – Residents of northeastern Japan on Sunday cleared clutter and debris from shops and homes after a strong earthquake caused a landslide on a highway, damaged buildings and parts of bullet train lines and caused power blackouts for thousands of people. people.
The 7.3 magnitude quake late Saturday shook the earthquake-prone areas of the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi, which 10 years ago were hit by a powerful earthquake that triggered a tsunami and the melting of a nuclear power plant.
More than 140 people suffered minor injuries, many of them from falling objects and cuts when stepping on broken glass. Three people were confirmed to have been seriously injured, but there were no reports of deaths, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato.
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Evacuates take refuge in a gym when an earthquake strikes the area, in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Sunday, February 14, 2021. (Associated Press)
Tokyo Electric Power Co., the concessionaire operating the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, hit by the March 2011 disaster, said the water used to cool the fuel rods used near the reactors was spilled due to the quake. But there were no radiation leaks or other irregularities, said TEPCO.
The earthquake did not cause a tsunami because the epicenter was 55 kilometers (34 miles) below the ocean.
Noriko Kamaya, a spokeswoman for the Japan Meteorological Agency, said at a news conference that the earthquake is considered a replica of the magnitude 9.1 earthquake in 2011.
A landslide caused by a strong earthquake covers a circuit in the city of Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Sunday, February 14, 2021. (Associated Press)
The power was restored early on Sunday, although some bullet train services were still interrupted. East Japan Railway Co. said the bullet train on the north coast would be suspended until Monday due to damage to its facilities.
TV images and videos shared on social media showed boxes, books and other items scattered on the floor. In the city of Soma, in northern Fukushima, the roof of a Buddhist temple collapsed.
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Workers were clearing a large coastal highway connecting Tokyo to northern cities, where a major landslide occurred. Several other roads were also blocked by stones.
Collapsed rocks block a road after a strong earthquake struck the city of Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Sunday, February 14, 2021. (Associated Press)
Saturday’s loud noise, less than a month before the 10th anniversary of the 2011 triple disaster, was a frightening reminder of the previous tragedy for residents of the region.
“It all started with a slight tremor, then it suddenly became violent,” Yuki Watanabe, a convenience store employee in the town of Minamisoma in Fukushima, told the Asahi newspaper. “I was so scared,” she said, adding that it reminded her of the 2011 earthquake.
This photo shows the damaged entrance to a house in the city of Kori, north of the city of Fukushima, northeastern Japan, on Sunday, February 14, 2021, after an earthquake on Saturday. (Associated Press)
As she ran outside, she heard a noise from behind the store as glass bottles from the shelves shattered on the floor.
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The experts warned of more aftershocks. Many residents spent the night in evacuation centers, where tents were set up as part of protection measures against the coronavirus.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, expressed sympathy for those who suffered damages and injuries.
“The government will continue to do its utmost to respond,” he said.
Defense troops have also been mobilized to provide water in some areas.
Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama