Japan earthquake: At least 15 dead and thousands stranded in New Year’s Day tremor

Authorities in Japan say at least 15 people are dead as a result of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in central Japan on Monday, which also caused significant damage and stranded thousands.

The quake, centered less than 200 miles northwest of Tokyo, struck at 4:10 p.m. local time on Monday and had a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS said more than 30 smaller aftershocks have occurred in the area since the initial quake.

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Tsunami warnings in the country have been rescinded and were replaced with advisories for Japan’s west coast, but those too were rescinded on Tuesday, local time. Government officials are also warning residents to stay alert for aftershocks of similar intensity to the initial quake for roughly a week, according to Japan’s national broadcaster NHK.

The 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the country’s east coast in March 2011 sparked deadly tsunamis that devastated Japan and caused a nuclear incident at the power plant in Fukushima.

NHK also reports that 1,400 passengers were trapped on bullet trains when the earthquake struck, roughly 33,000 homes are without power, and cell providers are experiencing outages in areas hardest hit by the earthquake. Four bullet trains reached stations on Tuesday after being stranded for nearly 11 hours, the outlet reported.

The earthquake caused damage to homes and roads, and it sparked a massive fire in the center of the city of Wajima.

栗原一至/AP

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The USGS said that while Japan sees earthquakes regularly, the region where the Monday tremor occurred is less seismically active than the east coast of the country.

President Joe Biden said in a statement on Monday that his administration has been in touch with Japanese officials and that the U.S. “stands ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.”