Powerful earthquake hits Japan, hot on the heels of Typhoon Jebi
The death toll could rise, with dozens of people missing in landslides, and 3-million homes without power
Tokyo — A powerful 6.6-magnitude quake rocked the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on Thursday, killing two people, collapsing homes, and triggering landslides that left dozens missing. Several large-scale landslides struck the sparsely populated countryside, which was also hit by the edge of a powerful typhoon that surged through Japan earlier this week. Aerial views showed dozens of houses destroyed at the bottom of a hill that was engulfed by a landslide, with a rescue helicopter winching a resident to safety. About 3-million homes lost power after the quake damaged a major thermal plant supplying the region. The Tomari nuclear power plant in Hokkaido, which was not operational before the quake, was forced to turn to emergency back-up power to keep its cooling system working, NHK said. Kazuo Kibayashi, a town official in hard-hit Abira town, told AFP: "There was a sudden, extreme jolt. I felt it went sideways, not up-and-down, for about two to three minutes.… It stopped befor...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.