More than 50 aftershocks were recorded in Japan on Saturday following a powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday. The earthquake, which hit the central Ishikawa region, left at least one person dead and dozens injured.
Japan’s disaster management agency reported that some of the aftershocks on Saturday were strong, and warned that heavy rain could lead to landslides in the affected areas. The deceased person was a 65-year-old man who fell from a ladder during the earthquake.
Approximately 1,630 residents of Suzu, the hardest-hit city, have been evacuated, with around 250 taking shelter in evacuation centres. Over 100 households in the region were without running water as of Saturday afternoon, and roads in many areas were closed.
Train services in other regions were disrupted following the quake, as passengers were out during a public holiday in Japan, part of a run of days off known as “Golden Week” when many people travel for leisure or to visit family. Bullet trains connecting Tokyo and Kanazawa in Ishikawa prefecture were temporarily halted on Friday for safety checks, but resumed with some delays.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, and stated that the government would continue taking measures with a sense of urgency while closely communicating with officials at the scene.
Clips of the tremors that surfaced online showed a grocery shop strewn with broken wine bottles and other products that had fallen from shelves, while some residents were seen clearing rubble in the rain after their wooden houses were partially destroyed.
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