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10 Facts About the Hokkaido Earthquake That Has Taken At Least 8 Lives

2018-09-06 , 4:15 pm

Planning a trip to Japan soon? Well, you might want to put things off first.

Indeed, Japan has had to contend with multiple earthquakes this year, with the most recent one happening early today (6 Sep).

The earthquake, 6.6 in magnitude, struck in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, triggering landslides, destroying several houses and killing one person.

A sad reality, and one I’m sure the relatives of affected victims would surely have to face. So without further ado, I present to you guys 10 facts about the Hokkaido Earthquake… that has claimed at least eight lives

1. Numbers

Earlier today (6 Sep), at 3:00 a.m. (2:00 a.m. here in Singapore) in Hokkaido, Japan was hit by another earthquake.

6.6 in magnitude, the quake struck the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, inciting terrifying landslides and collapsing several houses.

At present moment, at least 32 people were missing, and 120 people were wounded after the incident.

2. After effects

Earthquakes are undoubtedly fearsome. But sometimes, the most dangerous aspect of something might not be the actual thing, but what results from it.

As such, we have to thank the heavens that no tsunami warning was issued, which victims of the 2011 disaster would surely be thankful for. But it has to be mentioned that The Japan Meteorological Agency forewarned of a minor sea-level change in coastal areas.

An aftershock measuring 5.3, however, was recorded in the area instants later, which was followed by smaller ones over the course of the night. At least four landslides also occurred following the quake.

Read Also: The Alleged Reason on Why SIA Isn’t in Crazy Rich Asians

3. Deaths

So far, eight deaths have been recorded, although we’re really keen on there not being more.

According to Japanese media, an 82-year-old man had fallen down the stairs at his home during the quake; and thereafter passed away.

4. Press Conference

Following the quake, the government was quick to issue warnings.

“We urge residents in areas hit by strong tremors to heed information on television and radio and act by helping each other.”

And it seems that human lives take priority over everything else.

“The government will work in unison towards reconstruction while giving the top priority to saving human lives,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.

5. Aftermath

According to Hokkaido Electric, 2.95 million homes lost power following the quake. As a result, people had to leave their residences in the early hours of the morning post-quake.

A strong earthquake rocked Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido shortly after 3 AM on Thursday. Police are checking on the extent of the damage. NHK WORLD-JAPAN is LIVE streaming the Hokkaido earthquake updates. https://t.co/QbGNxwoMjt pic.twitter.com/AX72kCYbEO

— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) September 5, 2018

Meanwhile, transport services were also affected.

Hokkaido’s main airport, New Chitose Airport, had its floors covered by roof tiles and water, and as a result had to be closed for at least today (6 Sep). Shinkansen bullet trains, Japan’s pride & joy, were also stopped in several areas of Hokkaido for obvious reasons.

6. Danger

According to Channel News Asia, NHK footage has emerged showing a crumbled brick wall and broken glass in a home, as well as the police saying that “some people were trapped in collapsed structures”.

Soldiers, on the other hand, have been deployed to the rural roads, where they were shown checking for damage.

7. It’s not over

And I’m not talking about the small-scale aftershocks.

“Large quakes often occur, especially within two-three days (of a big one),” said Toshiyuki Matsumori, the man in charge of monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis at the meteorological agency.

“We urge residents to pay full attention to seismic activity and rainfall and not to go into dangerous areas.”

In addition, with full power supply might only be restored after a week.

8. This is not the first major-scale earthquake this year

In June, an earthquake savaged the Osaka region, taking the lives of five people and injuring over 350.

And just this week, on Tuesday (4 Sep), Japan experienced its worst typhoon in 25 years, a disaster that claimed at least 11 lives and damaged Kansai Airport to the point of closure.

9. Ring of Fire

Lest you’re unaware, Japan rests on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where a large number of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are noted.

As a result, the country tends to experience more earthquakes than say, Singapore, which is pretty much cushioned by every neighbouring country out there.

10. Airport closed for at least one day

Following the earthquake, Hokkaido’s main airport, the New Chitose Airport, would be closed for at least one day due to power outage and structural damage. All fights there have been cancelled as well.

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