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TOKYO – A violent earthquake struck rural areas in northern Japan on Thursday morning, causing a landslide that buried part of the village and caused another typhoon to close in the west of the country.
The epicenter of the earthquake, which struck around 3:08 local time, was located near the town of Chitose on the island of Hokkaido, where the region's main airport is located. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.6, according to the US Geological Survey.
No tsunami warnings were issued.
The airport will remain closed every Thursday after suffering structural damage, including collapsed walls and broken water pipes.
NHK public television reported that at least 19 people were missing after the village of Atsuma was partially covered by a mountain ridge that slipped into it. NHK said 10 people were rescued from the village by helicopter.
The local Hokkaido government said that from 9 am, a person was confirmed as having serious injuries, 9 were slightly injured and 94 suffered injuries of an unknown degree.
About 3 million households lost energy shortly after the earthquake, NHK reported. A local nuclear reactor has been replaced by backup diesel generators to keep spent fuel rods cool.
"We will work closely with local authorities and do everything in our power to rescue those affected, evacuate local populations and restore essential services," said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a meeting. emergency meeting with ministers.
The closure of Hokkaido's main airport following the earthquake is another blow to the booming tourist industry after Kansai airport near Osaka was closed Tuesday due to the country's worst typhoon. 25 years.
The Japanese archipelago is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions. An earthquake in another region of northern Japan in 2011 triggered a tsunami that destroyed much of the coastline, killing nearly 20,000 people.
Write to Alastair Gale at [email protected]
