On the first day of 2024, Japan suffered numerous powerful earthquakes on Monday, including one of magnitude 7.6. The latest report shows at least 48 deaths while the images reaching us reveal landscapes worthy of an apocalypse film.
Totally destroyed neighborhoods, fires amid the rubble caused by damage to the electricity network, smoke rising into the sky, houses completely collapsed on themselves, buildings leaning dangerously to one side, caricaturing the Tower of Pisa… The images reaching us from Japan since Monday January 1st are spectacular.
Regularly the victim of earthquakes, the land of the rising sun was violently shaken on the first day of the year 2024. According to theJapanese meteorological agency JMA, no less than 155 earthquakes were recorded between 4 p.m. this Monday (8 a.m. Paris time) and 9 a.m. Tuesday (midnight, in France). The majority of earthquakes were of magnitude greater than 3 on the Richter scale. The highest was 7.6 according to the Japanese agency, 7.5 according to the American Institute of Geophysics. It took place Monday around 4 p.m., or 8 a.m. in France, in the Ishikawa department. A shock felt as far away as Tokyo, located 300 km away, and which triggered a tsunami alert. The Japanese meteorological agency, which had downgraded its alert on Monday to midday (Paris time), has since officially lifted the tsunami risk on Tuesday morning.
A “race against time” to find the victims
It is now time to take stock. Tuesday morning, January 2, the authorities reported at least 48 deaths linked to the series of earthquakes which shook the Noto peninsula. While emergency services continue to work to help the survivors, the Japanese agency reported six new strong tremors recorded in the morning. But the task of the emergency services is immense as the roads allowing them to reach the victims have often been affected by the earthquakes, making it impossible to travel normally.
The closure of a local airport was also recorded after the discovery of faults on the landing strips. Train traffic is also difficult. According to the Japanese Prime Minister, echoed by BFMTV, it is a real “race against time” which is now taking place to find survivors and come to the aid of victims of the earthquakes.