Powerful quake hits Japan's Hokkaido

A strong earthquake rocked Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido in the predawn hours of Thursday, killing at least seven people and leaving more than 300 injured and dozens unaccounted.

The magnitude 6.7, predawn quake caused a cut in the power supply and suspension of Shinkansen bullet train and local trains throughout the region. It triggered massive landslides in some areas and caused extensive damage to roads and other infrastructure. Many highways were closed. Public bus services shut down.

The Japan government has sent about 4,000 members of Self-Defense Forces to Hokkaido. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said as many as 25,000 soldiers would be dispatched there if needed.

Abe said that his government will do all it can in search and rescue efforts by mobilizing SDF members, police officers, firefighters and the Coast Guard.

New Chitose Airport was closed on Thursday after part of its ceiling collapsed as well as due to the power outage. Blackout also affected around 80 hospitals, telephone service and television broadcasting in Hokkaido.

One generator of the prefecture's thermal power plants that shut down due to the earthquake has started working. But Japan's Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko said it will take at least a week to restore power across whole Hokkaido.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said power supply from off-site sources has been restored to all three reactors at the Tomari nuclear power plant in Hokkaido. The power plant lost all external power sources following the strong earthquake.

The plant's three reactors are all currently offline, with a total of 1,527 fuel assemblies in its storage pools.

Following the quake, six emergency diesel-powered generators automatically switched on to cool the nuclear fuel. No changes in storage pool water levels or temperature have been reported. The emergency generators will be able to keep the Tomari plant running for at least 7 days, based on diesel fuel supplies stored on its premises.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority and Hokkaido Electric added that the earthquake did not seem to cause any irregularities in key plant facilities and radiation monitoring posts have shown no change.

Power outages shut down a large number of businesses including the Sapporo stock exchange and plants of Toyota Motor, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal and Mitsubishi Steel Mfg Co Ltd.

The quake, which occurred in southern Hokkaido at a depth of about 37 kilometers, in the town of Abira, southeast of Sapporo. It was followed by smaller aftershocks. No tsunami warning was issued. It was the first time that Hokkaido was hit by a quake of such intensity since the seismic scale was revised in 1996.

caihong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/07/2018 page11)