JAPAN: Locals begin clean up after earthquake hits northern Japan, injuring over 120 people
Record ID:
463729
JAPAN: Locals begin clean up after earthquake hits northern Japan, injuring over 120 people
- Title: JAPAN: Locals begin clean up after earthquake hits northern Japan, injuring over 120 people
- Date: 24th July 2008
- Summary: (BN04) HACHINOHE CITY, AOMORI PREFECTURE, JAPAN (JULY 24, 2008) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF HACHINOHE CITY GATE OF HONJUJI TEMPLE COLLAPSED TOMBSTONES VISITORS FIXING BROKEN TOMBS FALLEN HEAD OF STONE BUDDHA COLLAPSED TOMBSTONES WIDE OF CEMETERY MORE OF FALLEN TOMBSTONES (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) RYOKO OGAWA, 73, LOCAL RESIDENT, SAYING: "I was sort of expecting a big earthquake to happen here after the last one hit out neighbouring state just recently." CEMETERY VISITORS EXAMINING COLLAPSED TOMBSTONES (BN04) TOKYO, JAPAN (JULY 24, 2008) (TV TOKYO - NO ACCESS JAPAN/CLEARED FOR INTERNET ACCESS/SEE ABOVE FOR FURTHER RESTRICTIONS) (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) YASUO FUKUDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SAYING: "It happened when I had just fallen asleep. I was surprised and I am sure everyone was also surprised and we are currently assessing the situation." (BN04) HACHINOHE CITY, AOMORI PREFECTURE, JAPAN (JULY 24, 2008) (REUTERS) STREET OF DOWNTOWN HACHINOHE CITY DAMAGED SIDEWALK KITCHEN SHOP CLERK CLEANING UP BROKEN DISHES AND CUPS BROKEN PIECES OF CHINAWARE BEING THROWN INTO CARDBOARD BOX CLOSE UP OF BROKEN GLASSES AND CHINAWARE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) KITCHENWARE SHOP CLERK MITSUNORI SATO, 55, SAYING: "This has dealt us a huge loss of money. Our owner is crying." WIDE VIEW OF KITCHENWARE SHOP TO BROKEN ITEMS IN BOX COMMUNITY THEATRE IN HACHINOHE CITY VIEW FROM COLLAPSED CEILING TO WORKERS REMOVING DEBRIS MORE OF WORKERS CLEANING UP WIDE VIEW OF THEATRE BROKEN GLASS WINDOW OF COMMUNITY CENTRE VARIOUS OF CRACKS ON WALL DEBRIS VARIOUS BROKEN PIECES OF GLASS
- Embargoed: 8th August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA8S3BR36R1WE3BW20LO936XPEW
- Story Text: A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early on Thursday (July 24), injuring more than 120 people, trapping hundreds others in halted trains and affecting production at some high-tech factories.
The quake, which struck shortly past midnight local time and had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, was the latest in a series to hit the sparsely populated, mountainous region.
Local media said at least 127 people were injured, at least 17 of them seriously. Many were hurt in falls or suffered cuts from broken glass.
Officials warned of possible landslides, but with few strong aftershocks to hamper operations, the clean-up started almost immediately.
Most schools in the region were open as usual and phone and electricity services were restored by daybreak, local media said, although hundreds of homes remain without water supply.
At Honjuji temple in Hachinohe, near one of the worst hit areas, rows of tall gravestones were knocked over and some were broken.
"I was sort of expecting a big earthquake to happen here after the last one hit out neighbouring state just recently," said Ryoko Ogawa, 73, who came to check her family grave.
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said he was surprised to hear about the disaster.
"It happened when I had just fallen asleep. I was surprised and I am sure everyone was also surprised and we are currently assessing the situation" Fukuda told reporters on Thursday morning.
While the financial damage from the tremor is limited, some local businesses were more seriously affected than others.
"This has dealt us a huge loss of money. Our owner is crying,"
said Mitsunori Sato, 56, who spent the whole day cleaning broken pieces and shards of kitchenware off the floor of his porcelain shop.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
Thursday's tremor follows a string of earthquakes in the same region, the first of which in mid-June killed at least 10 people and left as many missing.
Some stretches of expressway were briefly closed to traffic in the region, but later reopened.
Analysts on Japanese media said the depth of the epicentre of the 6.8 magnitude tremor -- believed to be 108 kilometres underground -- weakened some of the power of the earthquake and prevented it from inflicting more damage than it could have. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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