In the heart of Japan, a formidable seismic upheaval has transpired, obliterating structures, disrupting electricity to myriad residences, and compelling denizens in certain coastal regions to seek refuge at elevated elevations.
![Japan Earthquake](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/INTERACTIVE_JAPAN_EARTHQUAKE_JAN1_2024-1704107400.png?w=770&resize=770%2C769&quality=80)
(Al Jazeera)
The seismic event, boasting a provisional magnitude of 7.6, initiated undulations measuring approximately 1m (3 feet) along the western expanse of Japan and the adjacent South Korean territory on the preceding Monday, with authorities asserting the potential for more substantial waves in the aftermath.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami alerts for the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama. Initially, Ishikawa received a dire tsunami warning – the first since the seismic catastrophe of March 2011 that befell northeastern Japan – but was subsequently deescalated.
Both Russia and North Korea issued tsunami alerts for specific locales as well.
Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi informed the press that the seismic tremor resulted in the devastation of numerous domiciles, conflagrations, and the deployment of military personnel to facilitate rescue endeavors, all while authorities persist in evaluating the extent of the devastation.
Toshihiro Shimoyama, an official from JMA, postulated the possibility of additional robust tremors in the region, where seismic activities have been simmering for over three years, over the impending days.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida conveyed to reporters his directive for search-and-rescue squads to exhaust all conceivable efforts to safeguard lives, notwithstanding the challenging accessibility to areas afflicted by the quake due to obstructed thoroughfares.
According to Chris Gilbert’s report from Tokyo, authorities have identified several individuals ensnared in the wreckage.
“The government has ascertained the entrapment of a minimum of six to ten individuals within structures, and the actual tally may exceed this estimation, considering the government traditionally exercises prudence in disseminating official figures until the conclusive count,” remarked Gilbert.
In Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, upwards of 36,000 households found themselves bereft of electrical power, as reported by the utility provider Hokuriku Electric Power.
![Japan Earthquake](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/349B4RN-highres-1704108096.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
This general view shows badly damaged buildings along a street in the city of Wajima in Ishikawa prefecture after a major 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region [Yusuke Fukuhara/Yomiuri Shimbun/AFP]
Hokuriku’s Shika plant in Ishikawa, closest to the epicenter of the seismic event, had already ceased operations of its two reactors prior to the quake for routine assessments and encountered no repercussions from the seismic disturbance, according to the regulatory agency.
The meteorological agency of South Korea posited that certain coastal regions in Gangwon province on the eastern seaboard might witness an elevation in sea levels.
Japan, being among the nations most susceptible to seismic activities, endured a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, claiming nearly 20,000 lives, ravaging communities, and triggering nuclear crises in Fukushima.