By Tomohiro OSAKI WAJIMA, Japan, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – Japanese rescuers scrambled to search for survivors Wednesday as authorities warned of landslides and heavy rain after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 55 people. The 7.5 magnitude quake on January 1 that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a metre high, sparked a major fire and tore apart roads. The Noto Peninsula of the prefecture […]
Asia
Five dead in Japan plane collision at Tokyo airport
TOKYO, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – Five people aboard a Japan coast guard aircraft died Tuesday when it hit a Japan Airlines passenger plane on the ground in a fiery collision at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. All 379 passengers and crew on board the passenger plane which burst into flames were safely evacuated, Japanese transport minister Tetsuo Saito told reporters. But five of the six crew members from the smaller plane — bound for central Japan […]
S. Korea protests Japan tsunami advisory inclusion of disputed islands
SEOUL, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – South Korea on Tuesday said it has lodged a “stern” protest against Tokyo’s inclusion of disputed islands in a tsunami advisory issued after a major earthquake struck a day earlier. Seoul has controlled the Dokdo islets — known as Takeshima in Japan — located off its east coast since 1945, when Tokyo’s colonial rule of the Korean peninsula ended. Tokyo says the islands are illegally occupied by South Korea. […]
At least 48 dead after monster Japan quake
By Fred Mery with Hiroshi Hiyama in Tokyo WAJIMA, Japan, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – Japanese rescuers battled the clock and powerful aftershocks Tuesday to find survivors of a New Year’s Day earthquake that killed at least 48 people and caused widespread destruction. The 7.5 magnitude quake that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a metre high, caused a major fire and tore apart roads. On the […]
Thousands evacuated following Indonesia volcano eruption
MAUMERE, Indonesia, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – More than 2,000 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters amid heightened volcanic activities in a volcano in eastern Indonesia, a local official said Tuesday. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Nusa Tenggara province has erupted several times in recent weeks, including an eruption on Monday that spewed volcanic ash 1.5 kilometres (4,800 feet) above its peak, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG). The […]
China saw hottest recorded year in 2023
SHANGHAI, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – China’s average temperature in 2023 was its hottest since records began, state media said citing officials Tuesday, capping a year of extreme weather events for the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The record-setting temperatures were part of an unprecedented series of extreme events last year around the world — including heatwaves, droughts and wildfires that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change. China’s national average temperature last […]
Japan Airlines plane on fire on runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport: TV images
TOKYO, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – A Japan Airlines plane burst into flames on the runway of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday after apparently colliding with a coast guard aircraft, media reports said. Images on broadcaster NHK showed the plane moving along the runway before a large explosion of orange flames exploded from beneath and behind it. All 367 passengers and 12 crew onboard the Airbus plane were evacuated, NHK reported. Those onboard included eight […]
Race against time after deadly Japan quake
By Tomohiro OSAKI KANAZAWA, Japan, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – Japanese rescuers battled against the clock and powerful aftershocks Tuesday to find survivors of a major earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day, killing at least six people and leaving a trail of destruction. The 7.5-magnitude quake, which hit Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu, triggered tsunami waves over a metre high, toppled buildings, caused a major port fire and tore apart roads. […]
South Korean opposition leader stabbed in neck
SEOUL, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – South Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday while talking to reporters in the port city of Busan, Yonhap news agency reported. Lee was walking in a crowd of journalists after visiting the site of a new airport when a man pushed through and lunged at him, striking him in the neck, footage on South Korean television channels showed. Lee was seen collapsing […]
Japan hit by 155 quakes since Monday: meteorological office
TOKYO, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – Japan has been hit since Monday by 155 earthquakes including a 7.6-magnitude jolt and another over 6, the Japan Meteorological Office said. Most of the quakes had a magnitude greater than 3 and while the strength has gradually moderated, six strong jolts were still felt early Tuesday, the JMA said.
Major Japan quake kills six, triggers tsunami waves
TOKYO, Jan 1, 2024 (AFP) – At least six people died in a major earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year’s Day, triggering tsunami waves over a metre high, damaging homes and sparking a major fire that wreaked destruction overnight, authorities said Tuesday. The scale of the damage from Monday’s quake was still emerging, with news footage showing toppled buildings, sunken boats at a port, countless charred homes, and locals without power in freezing […]
Major Japan quake triggers tsunami waves, residents told to run
TOKYO, Jan 1, 2024 (AFP) – Tsunami waves over a metre high hit central Japan on Monday after a series of powerful earthquakes that damaged homes, closed highways and prompted authorities to urge people to run to higher ground. A major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture around 4:10 pm (0710 GMT), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. Japan’s weather agency reported a succession of 21 quakes of 4.0 magnitude or […]