Magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit western Japan

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake and dozens of aftershocks have struck the Western part of the Asian country, Japan thereby sparking tsunami warnings for residents along hundreds of miles of coastline.

Buildings have collapsed, trapping people under rubble as well as power and communications networks were still down. Tens of thousands of people have been told to evacuate with the threat of more quakes and tsunamis to come.

This announcement was made after the earthquake hit the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture around 4:10 pm local time.

A tsunami of 1.2 metres was already confirmed to have arrived in the Wajima city in Ishikawa prefecture.

But a much higher tsunami of five metres was expected to arrive in Noto in the same region according to the Japan Meterological Agency (JMA).

The JMA said the Noto region, on the Sea of Japan side of Japan’s main island of Honshu, experienced a rapid succession of quakes, starting with a 5.7 magnitude tremor at 4:06 pm local time.

This was followed by a 7.6-magnitude quake at 4:10 pm, a 6.1 magnitude quake at 4:18 pm, a 4.5 magnitude one at 4:23 pm, a 4.6 magnitude quake at 4:29 pm, and 4.8 magnitude quake at 4:32 pm.

Another quake with a magnitude of 6.2 hit soon after, the US Geological Survey said.

Dolupo Balogun

Written by Boom RadioNG