Japan had yet to recover from the damage and casualties after a strong earthquake triggered a small tsunami in its north western coast on Tuesday, before being thrust into crisis mode once again.
According to the National Japanese Meteorological Agency, an earthquake of preliminary magnitude 6.3 struck the northern Ishikawa region of central Japan on Friday 5 May 2023.
It was the first time since the 6.9 magnitude “Noto Peninsula Earthquake” on March 25 2007, that a tremor with a seismic magnitude higher than 6 was observed in Ishikawa Prefecture.
The earthquake occurred at 2:42 p.m. (local time, 7 a.m. Rabat time) at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the same source. And right after, Prime minister Kishida ordered immediate implementation of disaster emergency measures while prioritizing human life.
The tremors reached an intensity of 6+ on the Japanese feeling scale in several localities, a level at which wooden buildings may tilt or collapse, large cracks in the ground may occur, and it is difficult to stand. The NHK reported that emergency services call centers were overwhelmed, power outages and gas leaks were reported, and trains were stopped.
According to the same source, the casualties included one death, a 65 year old man who fell from a ladder, and 21 people with mild to moderate injuries.
Japan, which lies on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, an area of high seismic activity suffers about 20% of the world’s strongest earthquakes every year.
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