Japan. Japan has been hit by 155 earthquakes since Monday including the main 7.6-magnitude jolt that struck Ishikawa and another over 6, the Japan Meteorological Office said on Tuesday. They said that most of the earthquakes were of magnitude higher than 3 on the Richter scale. They also said that even though the strength gradually moderated, at least six strong jolts were still felt on Tuesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year’s Day caused “extensive” damage with numerous casualties. He said that authorities are in a “race against time” to rescue victims.
“Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires,” Kishida was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
A report by news agency AFP said that Japan, however, has lifted all tsunami warnings.
Monday’s major temblor killed twenty people, according to a report by news agency Reuters and triggered tsunami waves over a metre high. The earthquake damaged homes and sparked a major fire that caused damage overnight. The authorities are still assessing the scale of the damage from Monday’s quake.
