A strong earthquake kills people and destroys homes in Japan

A strong earthquake struck central Japan, killing at least one person and injuring 21 others, while rescuers are searching for the last one trapped under the rubble after several houses collapsed.

The 6.5-magnitude quake hit the central Ishikawa prefecture in mid-afternoon Friday at a depth of 12 km, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Weather officials warned residents of the possibility of aftershocks and landslides in the coming days, but said there was no danger of a tsunami.

“There was a big and long earthquake that lasted about two minutes. I was scared because the shaking kept on and on,” a local government official in Suzu City, who declined to be named, told public broadcaster NHK.

Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters in the capital, Tokyo, that one person had been reported dead and “multiple reports of collapsed buildings.”

The victim fell down a ladder, an official of the Suzhou Crisis Management told AFP, adding that 21 other people were injured.

The local fire and disaster management agency said at least three buildings were destroyed, with two people trapped inside.

One of them has been pulled from the rubble and sent to the hospital and rescuers are searching for the other.

Footage from NHK showed destroyed or tilted traditional wooden houses with broken windows and damaged roofs. In the aerial footage, a collapsed mountainside can be seen.

Today is a public holiday in Japan, part of a series of holidays known as “Golden Week,” a time when many people travel for leisure or to visit family.

Shinkansen express trains between the cities of Nagano and Kanazawa, a popular tourist destination, were suspended, but resumed less than two hours later, according to Japan Railways.

The earthquake registered a high six on the Japanese Shindo seismic scale, which has a maximum of seven.

The USGS estimated the magnitude to be 6.2 and said it struck off the coast, but the Japan Meteorological Agency has placed the epicenter on land.

Japan’s disaster prevention minister, Koichi Tani, said there have been reports of multiple landslides and some local residents have taken refuge in evacuation shelters.

‘ring of fire’

Earthquakes are common in Japan, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches across Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Basin.

However, Japan has strict construction regulations aimed at ensuring that buildings can withstand strong earthquakes and routinely conducts emergency drills in preparation for a major shock.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck a fishing village in the same area in 2007, injuring hundreds and damaging more than 200 buildings on the Noto Peninsula.

The peninsula is a rural area on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan that is famous for its natural scenery.

Japan is haunted by the memory of the massive 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake off its northeast in March 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left some 18,500 people dead or missing.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster caused the meltdown of three of the plant’s six nuclear reactors

The 2011 tsunami also caused the meltdown of three reactors at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, causing the worst post-war disaster and the deadliest nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Hirokazu Matsuno said no anomalies were detected at the Shiga and Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plants in the area affected by Friday’s quake.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos