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TOKYO — Japan was struck by a series of powerful earthquakes on New Year’s Day that killed at least three people, reduced hundreds of buildings to rubble, and forced tens of thousands to flee to higher ground.
The quakes occurred off the coast of Ishikawa a little after 4 p.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) with one reaching a magnitude of 7.6, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters he would personally lead the nation’s disaster response and has already been in touch with the mayors of two cities on the Noto Peninsula hit hard by the quakes, Suzu and Wajima, both of which are about 325 miles west of Tokyo.
Not long after, the White House issued a statement pledging to help Japan if needed.
“My administration is in touch with Japanese officials, and the United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people,” President Joe Biden said.
So far, three deaths have been reported — two in Nanao City and one in Shika Town, Japanese broadcaster NTV reported, citing information from local police. All were due to building collapses.
Kishida said search-and-rescue teams have been dispatched to the stricken cities, but manpower and supplies might have to be brought in by boat because many roads in the area are damaged.
Also, large swaths of the area were without power, water or cellphone service as a result of the quakes, Kishida said.
Tsunami warnings had been issued — in the wake of the quakes — in the coastal prefectures of Niigata, Toyama and Ishikawa, where 33,000 buildings had lost power as of 6 p.m. (4 a.m. ET), according to the Hokuriku Electric Power company.
The Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV warned the quakes could churn-up 17-foot tall waves and urged people on the entire west coast to evacuate.
Those tsunami warnings were downgraded later Monday and, thus far, the tallest wave reported was around 4 feet tall and detected at the port in the city of Wajima, the broadcaster reported.
Still, the quakes were so powerful they were felt on the other side of the country in Tokyo, according to the broadcaster.
A video posted to X showed a train station in Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, shaking and losing power during an earthquake. Another showed a family clinging on to whatever they could as their apartment in Kanazawa rocked wildly.
Other videos posted to social media showed houses in some areas with roofs caved in and door frames falling off while surrounding trees fall to the ground. In some supermarkets, goods were scattered as the ground shook.
A fire broke out in the center of Wajima on the northern Noto Peninsula, according to the local government statement. Several people with minor head or other injuries from falling objects were treated at Wajima Municipal Hospital, officials there said.
The quake flattened a lacquerware company and at least 30 homes in the city, trapping dozens of people under the rubble, NHK reported, citing the local fire department.
In Nanao City, which is located on the same peninsula, landslides, cracked roads, and collapsed homes were also reported, local police said.
In Suzu, the collapse of a two-story house was caught on camera by an NHK crew. Other footage showed one large isolated wave crashing off the coast of the city.
Earlier, Japanese officials announced it was sending military assistance to the hardest-hit areas but none of the nuclear reactors operating in the region had been damaged.
Train service in and out of the area was suspended and the airport that serves the cities on the Noto Peninsula was shut down.
This is a developing story — check back here for updates soon.
Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo, Larissa Gao reported from Hong Kong, and Corky Siemaszko from New York City.
Mithil Aggarwal and Caroline Radnofsky contributed.
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