Japan works through aftermath of New Year's earthquake
8 January 2024
On New Year's Day, a powerful earthquake rocked Japan's central and western regions.
A series of shakes, including one measuring 7.6, hit near the Noto Peninsula in the Ishikawa Prefecture late in the afternoon on January 1 (local time), causing widespread damage and a tsunami warning.
So far, at least 100 people have been confirmed dead and dozens have been injured. Nearly 100,000 people were evacuated in the wake of the earthquake as tsunami warnings were put in place.
Rescue efforts are ongoing as some communities have been cut off by damage to roads. Further aftershocks are expected throughout the week for the country.
Here we've gathered a round up of reporting from across Japan and the world:
Heavy snow adds to relief difficulties in quake-hit Noto - The Asahi Shimbun
Snow began falling in Ishikawa Prefecture on Jan. 7, a development expected to further hamper efforts to find survivors and deliver relief goods nearly a week after the powerful earthquake in the Noto Peninsula.
Japan ushers in a bruising beginning for 2024 - The Japan Times
2024 began auspiciously for Japan. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake rattled the Noto Peninsula and triggered tsunami alerts that blanketed the country’s western coast. While the death toll continues to climb — and our thoughts and prayers go out to all victims of this tragedy — it is small compared to those following a temblor of that size.
Far wider fault rupture suspected in Ishikawa quake - The Asahi Shimbun
The fault responsible for the deadly magnitude-7.6 quake in Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day apparently ruptured over a far wider area than the local terrain at the center of an earthquake swarm over the past three years, experts said.
Japan's nuclear power plants largely undamaged following quake - The Japan Times
Japan’s nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan coast escaped serious damage in the New Year’s Day earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Experts caught off guard by intensity of Jan. 1 Noto earthquake - Asahi Shimbun
Experts warned of powerful aftershocks in the days ahead as they puzzled over the forces that generated the magnitude-7.6 earthquake in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day.
Japan earthquake: No New Zealanders affected, MFAT says - NZ Herald
No New Zealanders have been reported to be involved or affected by the massive earthquake that rocked the central part of Japan on New Year’s Day.
Banner image: Map produced by Japan Meteorological Agency showing the severity of the earthquake that hit the country on January 1, 2024