Earthquake in Japan leaves 4 dead, tens of thousands of homes in the Northeast are still without power

At the same time, the battle earthquake has severed transport links with the Northeast Japan.

Companies including a chipmaker giant and carmaker Toyota were also affected by the magnitude 7.3 quake, which struck just before midnight on March 16. Supply chain disruptions could put additional pressure on already strained global smartphone, electronics and automotive output.

The earthquake revived memories of the March 11, 2011 disaster that also occurred in Fukushima Prefecture. Shinkansen bullet train service was suspended indefinitely, with at least one major expressway to the area closed for safety checks.

Facades of many buildings have fallen to the street below in some areas. Television footage showed that the roof collapsed on a car parked on the street, causing the car to “smash”. Workers are inspecting a cracked highway.

Clean up a street covered with fallen walls from a building in Fukushima, Northern Japan on March 17. (Photo: AP)

Many areas in the capital Tokyo lost power immediately after the quake, although most were restored to power within three hours.

However, about 24,270 households in charge of Tohoku Electric Power Co in Northeast Japan still had no electricity at 10 am on March 17 (local time), the company expects, ​Most homes will have power back on by the end of March 17.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said four people were killed and the government will be on high alert for the possibility of stronger tremors in the next 2-3 days.

At least 107 people were injured, some of them seriously. 4,300 households still did not have water in the morning of March 17. Residents of a city in Fukushima prefecture lined up in a parking lot to fill plastic cans with water.

Renesas Electronics Corp., the world’s largest maker of automotive microcontroller chips, said it was inspecting earthquake damage at three factories in Japan. Among them was the Naka factory in Ibaraki prefecture, which had to close for three months after the March 2011 earthquake and for a shorter time after the 2021 earthquake. The plant had to halt production. in 2021 because of fires, exacerbating a global chip shortage and forcing auto companies to limit output.

Merchandise is scattered due to the earthquake at a convenience store in Fukushima. (Photo: Kyodo)

The earthquake, initially measured at 7.3 magnitude but later adjusted to 7.4 by the Japan Meteorological Agency, struck at 11:36 p.m. local time on March 16. Fukushima Prefecture with a seismic plate at a depth of 60 km. Earthquake and tsunami disaster The year 2011 off the coast of Fukushima was commemorated across Japan less than a week ago, killing about 18,000 people.

A tsunami warning was issued but was lifted in the early morning of March 17. Some areas recorded sea level rise but no serious damage was immediately reported.

No abnormalities have been reported at nuclear power plants in the area, although authorities previously said fire alarms were activated.

Toyota canceled the shift on March 17 at two factories in Northeast Japan after workers evacuated from the factories on the evening of March 16 and will make a decision later on the evening of March 17.

The main branch of Mizuho Financial Group Inc said that some of the bank’s ATMs had temporarily stopped service due to a power outage, but all were restored later.

Before the Shinkansen bullet train was temporarily suspended due to the earthquake incident, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have added a number of flights to northern Japanese cities. Currently, the Japanese railway industry does not have a forecast on when railway services can be restored.

* Invite readers to watch programs broadcast by Vietnam Television on TV Online and VTVGo!