https://tw.news.yahoo.com/燕子剛走-地牛又翻身-北海道傳規模6-7強震-295萬戶停電-234757705.html
燕子剛走，地牛又翻身：北海道傳規模6.7強震 295萬戶停電，機場、地鐵、鐵路全面停運
風傳媒
3.4k 人追蹤
國際中心
2018年9月6日 上午7:47
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強颱燕子4日才剛重創西日本，北海道6日凌晨3點8分（台灣時間2點8分）又傳芮氏規模6.7強震，震央在北海道道央的胆振地方，震源深度約40公里，連青森、岩手、宮城、秋田等地的民眾也能感受到搖晃。由於整個北海道的火力發電廠都緊急停止運作，至少295萬戶停電，新千歲機場、札幌市地鐵、JR北海道都無法運作。由於北海道多處發生土石流，目前至少12人下落不明，自衛隊已出動援救。
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9月6日凌晨北海道（台灣時間2時08分）發生芮氏規模6.7的強烈地震，震央在札幌東南方112公里處，強震後札幌民眾在街頭聚集。（美聯社）
9月6日凌晨北海道（台灣時間2時08分）發生芮氏規模6.7的強烈地震，震央在札幌東南方112公里處，強震後札幌民眾在街頭聚集。（美聯社）
根據日本氣象廳的資料，自凌晨3點8分的強震後，截至上午7點22分為止，北海道又發生了至少30次有感餘震，許多民眾從睡夢中嚇醒後根本無法入眠，推特上也出現一波震災照片。《產經新聞》稱，由於北海道搖晃強烈，許多民眾以為「這次死定了」。在災情方面，勇拂郡的厚真町傳出多處大規模土石流，14棟建築遭到波及，至少12人失蹤，救難隊已緊急趕往援救。苫小牧市一位82歲男性因為從樓梯跌落，造成心肺停止。
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日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，從示意圖看來，整個北日本都可以感受到搖晃。（日本氣象廳）
日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，從示意圖看來，整個北日本都可以感受到搖晃。（日本氣象廳）
由於強震影響，北海道所有火力發電廠都緊急停止運行，北海道295萬戶陷入停電，包括新千歲空港、札幌市地鐵、函館市電車、JR北海道今日也全部停駛，整個北海道的交通號誌只剩10%可以正常亮燈。室蘭市的儲油設施震後發生火災，消防隊正趕往撲救，不過這次北海道強震並未造成海嘯。
日本的原子力規制委員會表示，由於失去電力，北海道唯一的核電廠「泊」在強震過後已經改由6部備用發電機供電，繼續冷卻燃料池內的核燃料棒，目前核能發電廠周邊的放射線數值並無異常。由於泊核電廠的三個發電機組目前都停止運行接受定檢中，因此核子反應爐內並沒有燃料棒。（推薦閱讀：強颱燕子重創西日本 京都奈良多處寺院神社一片狼籍）
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根據日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，在3點8分的強震之後，北海道就餘震不斷。（日本氣象廳）
根據日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，在3點8分的強震之後，北海道就餘震不斷。（日本氣象廳）
日本總理安倍晉三在第一時間也被震醒，凌晨3點9分就組成官邸對策室，並且指示要儘早掌握災情，與地方政府合作救災，防止災害繼續擴大。內閣官房長官菅義偉凌晨5時許也召開記者會，表示北海道光是通報土石流的電話就有810通，目前已經要求自衛隊趕往救災。菅義偉強調，目前以救助人命為第一優先，希望災區民眾注意避難情報，相互合作度過難關。
相關報導
● 當「西日本玄關」徹底停擺：關西機場遇史上最慘災情，燕子擺尾會拖累日本經濟嗎？
● 日本高齡少子化問題何解？《日本經濟新聞》專訪安倍晉三：我要打造「終身勞動社會」！
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ro-japan-at-depth-of-66-km-usgs-idUSKCN1LL2QK
World News
September 6, 2018 / 2:28 AM / Updated 2 hours ago
Japanese homes engulfed in landslide after powerful quake hits Hokkaido
William Mallard
4 Min Read
TOKYO (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.7 on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido caused a landslide that engulfed houses early on Thursday, injuring and trapping a number of people and cutting power in several areas.
A building damaged by a powerful earthquake is seen in Abira town in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo September 6, 2018. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
A landslide along a long ridge in the rural town of Atsumi could be seen in aerial footage from public broadcaster NHK. Some 10 people had been taken to hospital with injuries, one of them serious, it said.
There were widespread power outages and blocked roads, NHK said, but no early reports of deaths. A man suffered cardiac arrest after falling down the stairs, local media reported.
The quake, which struck at 3:08 a.m. (1808 GMT on Wednesday) posed no tsunami risk, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The U.S. Geological Survey said it struck some 68 km (42 miles) southeast of Sapporo, Hokkaido’s main city.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, arriving at his office before 6 a.m., told reporters his government had set up a command center to coordinate relief and rescue. His voice sounding haggard, Abe said saving lives was his government’s top priority.
Slideshow (3 Images)
The Tomari Nuclear Power Station suffered a power outage but was cooling its fuel rods safely with emergency power, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Operator Hokkaido Electric Power Co (9509.T) reported no radiation irregularities at the plant, which has been shut since shortly after a massive 2011 earthquake, Suga told a news conference.
A fire broke out at a Mitsubishi Steel Mfg Co (5632.T) plant in the city of Muroran but has largely been brought under control, NHK said, quoting local officials.
A row of houses could be seen slanting at odd angles, leaning against one another in one town, while roof tiles and water covered floors at New Chitose Airport. Many schools were closed, and some 2.95 million homes were without power, NHK said.
A series of smaller shocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.4, followed the initial temblor, the Meteorological Agency said. Agency official Toshiyuki Matsumori, at a early morning news conference, warned residents to take precautions for potential major aftershocks in coming days.
Shinkansen bullet trains were halted in some areas of Hokkaido, NHK said.
NHK Footage showed a crumbled brick wall and broken glass in a home, and quoted local police as saying some people were trapped in collapsed structures.
Hokkaido Electric Power Co Inc726.0
9509.TTokyo Stock Exchange
-36.00(-4.72%)
Japan, situated on the “Ring of Fire” arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that partly encircles the Pacific Basin, accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the most powerful ever recorded in Japan, struck under the ocean off the coast of the northern city of Sendai. The quake set off a series of massive tsunami that devastated a wide swathe of the Pacific coastline and killed nearly 20,000.
The tsunami also damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, leading to a series of explosions and meltdowns in the world’s worst nuclear disaster for 25 years.
Saturday marked the 95th anniversary of the Great Kanto earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area. Seismologists have said another such quake could strike the city at any time.
Writing by William Mallard; editing by Andrew Roche and Sandra Maler
https://www.localnews8.com/weather/...edly-buries-homes-in-hokkaido-japan/790933181
Strong earthquake reportedly buries homes in Hokkaido, Japan
3 injured as aftershocks continue
By:
Posted: Sep 05, 2018 04:56 PM MDT
Updated: Sep 05, 2018 06:38 PM MDT
AP via CNN
A woman takes shelter on a road following a strong earthquake in Sapporo, Japan. Related content
TOKYO (CNN) - Landslides resulting from a preliminary magnitude 6.7 earthquake early Thursday on Japan's Hokkaido island buried a "large" number of homes at the foot of a ridge, officials said.
At least 28 people were injured in the region and 20 residents in the town of Atsuma may be unaccounted for, officials said. Twenty of those injured were in the city of Sapporo.
The earthquake was followed by multiple aftershocks, including one registered at 5.4, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake registered at 6.6.
Nearly 3 million households lost power, according to the Hokkaido Electric Power Company. Officials said a main power station lost operations, affecting other sites. Independently owned power generators were assisting.
"The electric supply was stopped to Tomari nuclear plant, but it can operate without external electric supply for one week," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.
Residents said they awoke to a powerful earthquake that lasted 30 seconds to one minute.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said 4,000 defense forces joined rescue operations, and that number could increase to a maximum of 25,000.
Some streets were cut off by downed trees, and additional images from the broadcaster showed crumbled buildings.
Additionally, Japan Meteorological Agency officials told NHK that risks of aftershocks are substantial for as long as the next week. They warned residents about increased risks of collapse among buildings near the epicenter.
Copyright 2018 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
https://www.9news.com.au/2018/09/06/05/44/japan-earthquake-typhoon-jebi-weather-hokkaido
Powerful quake hits northern Japan, some damage reported
9:06am Sep 6, 2018
1:56
A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power at nearly all of 3 million households and a nuclear power plant to go on a backup generator.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck southern Hokkaido at 3:08 a.m. Thursday (1808 GMT Wednesday) at the depth of 40 kilometers (24 miles), Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
The quake's epicenter was east of the city of Tomakomai. It also struck Hokkaido's prefectural capital of Sapporo, with a population of 1.9 million.
An aerial photo shows houses covered with landslides that seem to be happened by the earthquake in Atsuma Town, Hokkaido (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)
The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.6. No tsunami warning was issued.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said a man was found without vital signs in Tomakomai, and several people were reported missing in the nearby town of Atsuma.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that the authorities have received hundreds of calls about people missing and buildings collapsing. Officials are doing their utmost for the search and rescue while they assess the extent of damage, he said.
The central government set up a crisis management taskforce at the prime minister's Office, Suga said.
An aerial photo shows houses covered with landslides that seem to be happened by the earthquake in Atsuma Town, Hokkaido on Sep.6, 2018 (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)
Related Articles
The earthquake also affected telephone service and television broadcasting in Sapporo.
Meanwhile, one of Japan's busiest airports remained closed indefinitely, a day after the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years flooded a runway, toppled huge cranes, flipped cars on their side, damaged historic shrines and caused at least 11 deaths as it swept across part of Japan's main island.
An aerial photo shows a tanker crashed into the bridge between Kansai International Airport and the main land due to the strong wind of typhoon Jebi in the east of the airport in Osaka Prefecture (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)
Typhoon Jebi came ashore with sustained winds of 160 kilometres per hour, cutting a path of destruction in and around Osaka and nearby cities that bore the brunt of the storm.
A large commercial ship was washed onto a breakwater, and shipping containers were left floating in the sea. In Kyoto, the former imperial capital and a popular tourist destination, wooden shrine buildings and tall orange-red entrance gates were knocked down. Soaring trees fell at a shrine in Nara, another historic city.
Utility poles collapse due to the typhoon Jebi in Sennan City, Osaka Prefecture on September 5, 2018 (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)
More than 400,000 households in western and central Japan remained without power Wednesday, and electric utilities warned that it would take time to bring everyone back on line. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at least 11 people had been confirmed dead and 470 people were injured.
Some 3,000 airline passengers who had to spend the night at the offshore Kansai airport were able to leave on boats and buses under sunny skies. They were stranded after a tanker unmoored by the storm's pounding waves and wind slammed into a bridge that is the airport's only link to the mainland.
Officials could not say when the airport, a gateway for Asian tourists visiting Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, would reopen. "Right now, we cannot say for certain when we can reopen," said Hiroshi Nishio, an executive at the Kansai Airport. "Equipment has been flooded and inspection takes time."
he bridge was damaged after a tanker crashed into it the previous day as powerful Typhoon Jebi hit western Japan (Kyodo via AP Images)
The closure of the main airport serving one of Japan's major business and commercial areas triggered concern about the possible impact on tourism and the economy.
"If Kansai Airport is unusable for a long time, it would have a certain impact on the regional economy as well as the Japanese economy overall, as the airport is a key trading hub for companies," MUFG Bank analyst Akira Yoshimura told NHK public television.
Strong typhoon slams western Japan
Flooding at the airport had largely subsided Wednesday but flight operations equipment needed to be assessed for damage, as did the crushed part of the bridge. The airport was built on artificial islands in Osaka Bay.
Passengers stranded overnight appeared relieved but exhausted after an uneasy night in the dark.
Hideko Senoo, a 51-year-old homemaker planning a family trip to India, said the terminal was hot and dark after losing power, and food at convenience stores was sold out.
"We could not use vending machines or access the wireless network to get information," she told Japan's Kyodo News service.
Miki Yamada, a 25-year-old office worker planning a trip to Thailand with her friend, told Kyodo she spent the night at an airport cafeteria. "It was a rather scary night, as we were so isolated," she said.
A view of tumbled cars following strong winds caused by powerful typhoon Jebi, in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, western Japan (EPA/JIJI PRESS)
The Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka was closed for a second day Wednesday but said it would reopen Thursday.
Factories in the region, including automaker Daihatsu Motor Co., electronics giant Panasonic and beverage maker Kirin Co., were expected to resume operations Wednesday after suspending production during the typhoon, Kyodo said.
An aerial picture shows burnt cars spread at a yard in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan (EPA/JIJI PRESS)
The deaths included a man in his 70s who was blown to the ground from his apartment in Osaka prefecture. Police said at least five others died elsewhere in the prefecture after being hit by flying objects or falling from their apartments. In nearby Shiga prefecture, a 71-year-old man died when a storage building collapsed on him, and a man in his 70s died after falling from a roof in Mie, officials said.
In Nishinomiya in Hyogo prefecture, about 100 cars at a seaside dealership burned after their electrical systems were shorted out by sea water, fire officials and news reports said.
- AAP/AP
燕子剛走，地牛又翻身：北海道傳規模6.7強震 295萬戶停電，機場、地鐵、鐵路全面停運
風傳媒
3.4k 人追蹤
國際中心
2018年9月6日 上午7:47
檢視相片
強颱燕子4日才剛重創西日本，北海道6日凌晨3點8分（台灣時間2點8分）又傳芮氏規模6.7強震，震央在北海道道央的胆振地方，震源深度約40公里，連青森、岩手、宮城、秋田等地的民眾也能感受到搖晃。由於整個北海道的火力發電廠都緊急停止運作，至少295萬戶停電，新千歲機場、札幌市地鐵、JR北海道都無法運作。由於北海道多處發生土石流，目前至少12人下落不明，自衛隊已出動援救。
檢視相片
9月6日凌晨北海道（台灣時間2時08分）發生芮氏規模6.7的強烈地震，震央在札幌東南方112公里處，強震後札幌民眾在街頭聚集。（美聯社）
9月6日凌晨北海道（台灣時間2時08分）發生芮氏規模6.7的強烈地震，震央在札幌東南方112公里處，強震後札幌民眾在街頭聚集。（美聯社）
根據日本氣象廳的資料，自凌晨3點8分的強震後，截至上午7點22分為止，北海道又發生了至少30次有感餘震，許多民眾從睡夢中嚇醒後根本無法入眠，推特上也出現一波震災照片。《產經新聞》稱，由於北海道搖晃強烈，許多民眾以為「這次死定了」。在災情方面，勇拂郡的厚真町傳出多處大規模土石流，14棟建築遭到波及，至少12人失蹤，救難隊已緊急趕往援救。苫小牧市一位82歲男性因為從樓梯跌落，造成心肺停止。
檢視相片
日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，從示意圖看來，整個北日本都可以感受到搖晃。（日本氣象廳）
日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，從示意圖看來，整個北日本都可以感受到搖晃。（日本氣象廳）
由於強震影響，北海道所有火力發電廠都緊急停止運行，北海道295萬戶陷入停電，包括新千歲空港、札幌市地鐵、函館市電車、JR北海道今日也全部停駛，整個北海道的交通號誌只剩10%可以正常亮燈。室蘭市的儲油設施震後發生火災，消防隊正趕往撲救，不過這次北海道強震並未造成海嘯。
日本的原子力規制委員會表示，由於失去電力，北海道唯一的核電廠「泊」在強震過後已經改由6部備用發電機供電，繼續冷卻燃料池內的核燃料棒，目前核能發電廠周邊的放射線數值並無異常。由於泊核電廠的三個發電機組目前都停止運行接受定檢中，因此核子反應爐內並沒有燃料棒。（推薦閱讀：強颱燕子重創西日本 京都奈良多處寺院神社一片狼籍）
檢視相片
根據日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，在3點8分的強震之後，北海道就餘震不斷。（日本氣象廳）
根據日本氣象廳的北海道強震資料，在3點8分的強震之後，北海道就餘震不斷。（日本氣象廳）
日本總理安倍晉三在第一時間也被震醒，凌晨3點9分就組成官邸對策室，並且指示要儘早掌握災情，與地方政府合作救災，防止災害繼續擴大。內閣官房長官菅義偉凌晨5時許也召開記者會，表示北海道光是通報土石流的電話就有810通，目前已經要求自衛隊趕往救災。菅義偉強調，目前以救助人命為第一優先，希望災區民眾注意避難情報，相互合作度過難關。
相關報導
● 當「西日本玄關」徹底停擺：關西機場遇史上最慘災情，燕子擺尾會拖累日本經濟嗎？
● 日本高齡少子化問題何解？《日本經濟新聞》專訪安倍晉三：我要打造「終身勞動社會」！
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ro-japan-at-depth-of-66-km-usgs-idUSKCN1LL2QK
World News
September 6, 2018 / 2:28 AM / Updated 2 hours ago
Japanese homes engulfed in landslide after powerful quake hits Hokkaido
William Mallard
4 Min Read
TOKYO (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.7 on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido caused a landslide that engulfed houses early on Thursday, injuring and trapping a number of people and cutting power in several areas.
A building damaged by a powerful earthquake is seen in Abira town in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo September 6, 2018. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
A landslide along a long ridge in the rural town of Atsumi could be seen in aerial footage from public broadcaster NHK. Some 10 people had been taken to hospital with injuries, one of them serious, it said.
There were widespread power outages and blocked roads, NHK said, but no early reports of deaths. A man suffered cardiac arrest after falling down the stairs, local media reported.
The quake, which struck at 3:08 a.m. (1808 GMT on Wednesday) posed no tsunami risk, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The U.S. Geological Survey said it struck some 68 km (42 miles) southeast of Sapporo, Hokkaido’s main city.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, arriving at his office before 6 a.m., told reporters his government had set up a command center to coordinate relief and rescue. His voice sounding haggard, Abe said saving lives was his government’s top priority.
Slideshow (3 Images)
The Tomari Nuclear Power Station suffered a power outage but was cooling its fuel rods safely with emergency power, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Operator Hokkaido Electric Power Co (9509.T) reported no radiation irregularities at the plant, which has been shut since shortly after a massive 2011 earthquake, Suga told a news conference.
A fire broke out at a Mitsubishi Steel Mfg Co (5632.T) plant in the city of Muroran but has largely been brought under control, NHK said, quoting local officials.
A row of houses could be seen slanting at odd angles, leaning against one another in one town, while roof tiles and water covered floors at New Chitose Airport. Many schools were closed, and some 2.95 million homes were without power, NHK said.
A series of smaller shocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.4, followed the initial temblor, the Meteorological Agency said. Agency official Toshiyuki Matsumori, at a early morning news conference, warned residents to take precautions for potential major aftershocks in coming days.
Shinkansen bullet trains were halted in some areas of Hokkaido, NHK said.
NHK Footage showed a crumbled brick wall and broken glass in a home, and quoted local police as saying some people were trapped in collapsed structures.
Hokkaido Electric Power Co Inc726.0
9509.TTokyo Stock Exchange
-36.00(-4.72%)
- 9509.T
- 5632.T
Japan, situated on the “Ring of Fire” arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that partly encircles the Pacific Basin, accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the most powerful ever recorded in Japan, struck under the ocean off the coast of the northern city of Sendai. The quake set off a series of massive tsunami that devastated a wide swathe of the Pacific coastline and killed nearly 20,000.
The tsunami also damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, leading to a series of explosions and meltdowns in the world’s worst nuclear disaster for 25 years.
Saturday marked the 95th anniversary of the Great Kanto earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area. Seismologists have said another such quake could strike the city at any time.
Writing by William Mallard; editing by Andrew Roche and Sandra Maler
https://www.localnews8.com/weather/...edly-buries-homes-in-hokkaido-japan/790933181
Strong earthquake reportedly buries homes in Hokkaido, Japan
3 injured as aftershocks continue
By:
- YOKO WAKATSUKI AND CHIE KOBAYASHI
- CNN
Posted: Sep 05, 2018 04:56 PM MDT
Updated: Sep 05, 2018 06:38 PM MDT
AP via CNN A woman takes shelter on a road following a strong earthquake in Sapporo, Japan. Related content
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TOKYO (CNN) - Landslides resulting from a preliminary magnitude 6.7 earthquake early Thursday on Japan's Hokkaido island buried a "large" number of homes at the foot of a ridge, officials said.
At least 28 people were injured in the region and 20 residents in the town of Atsuma may be unaccounted for, officials said. Twenty of those injured were in the city of Sapporo.
The earthquake was followed by multiple aftershocks, including one registered at 5.4, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake registered at 6.6.
Nearly 3 million households lost power, according to the Hokkaido Electric Power Company. Officials said a main power station lost operations, affecting other sites. Independently owned power generators were assisting.
"The electric supply was stopped to Tomari nuclear plant, but it can operate without external electric supply for one week," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.
Residents said they awoke to a powerful earthquake that lasted 30 seconds to one minute.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said 4,000 defense forces joined rescue operations, and that number could increase to a maximum of 25,000.
Some streets were cut off by downed trees, and additional images from the broadcaster showed crumbled buildings.
Additionally, Japan Meteorological Agency officials told NHK that risks of aftershocks are substantial for as long as the next week. They warned residents about increased risks of collapse among buildings near the epicenter.
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https://www.9news.com.au/2018/09/06/05/44/japan-earthquake-typhoon-jebi-weather-hokkaido
Powerful quake hits northern Japan, some damage reported
9:06am Sep 6, 2018
1:56
A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power at nearly all of 3 million households and a nuclear power plant to go on a backup generator.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck southern Hokkaido at 3:08 a.m. Thursday (1808 GMT Wednesday) at the depth of 40 kilometers (24 miles), Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
The quake's epicenter was east of the city of Tomakomai. It also struck Hokkaido's prefectural capital of Sapporo, with a population of 1.9 million.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.6. No tsunami warning was issued.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said a man was found without vital signs in Tomakomai, and several people were reported missing in the nearby town of Atsuma.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that the authorities have received hundreds of calls about people missing and buildings collapsing. Officials are doing their utmost for the search and rescue while they assess the extent of damage, he said.
The central government set up a crisis management taskforce at the prime minister's Office, Suga said.
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The earthquake also affected telephone service and television broadcasting in Sapporo.
Meanwhile, one of Japan's busiest airports remained closed indefinitely, a day after the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years flooded a runway, toppled huge cranes, flipped cars on their side, damaged historic shrines and caused at least 11 deaths as it swept across part of Japan's main island.
Typhoon Jebi came ashore with sustained winds of 160 kilometres per hour, cutting a path of destruction in and around Osaka and nearby cities that bore the brunt of the storm.
A large commercial ship was washed onto a breakwater, and shipping containers were left floating in the sea. In Kyoto, the former imperial capital and a popular tourist destination, wooden shrine buildings and tall orange-red entrance gates were knocked down. Soaring trees fell at a shrine in Nara, another historic city.
More than 400,000 households in western and central Japan remained without power Wednesday, and electric utilities warned that it would take time to bring everyone back on line. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at least 11 people had been confirmed dead and 470 people were injured.
Some 3,000 airline passengers who had to spend the night at the offshore Kansai airport were able to leave on boats and buses under sunny skies. They were stranded after a tanker unmoored by the storm's pounding waves and wind slammed into a bridge that is the airport's only link to the mainland.
Officials could not say when the airport, a gateway for Asian tourists visiting Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, would reopen. "Right now, we cannot say for certain when we can reopen," said Hiroshi Nishio, an executive at the Kansai Airport. "Equipment has been flooded and inspection takes time."
The closure of the main airport serving one of Japan's major business and commercial areas triggered concern about the possible impact on tourism and the economy.
"If Kansai Airport is unusable for a long time, it would have a certain impact on the regional economy as well as the Japanese economy overall, as the airport is a key trading hub for companies," MUFG Bank analyst Akira Yoshimura told NHK public television.
Strong typhoon slams western Japan
Flooding at the airport had largely subsided Wednesday but flight operations equipment needed to be assessed for damage, as did the crushed part of the bridge. The airport was built on artificial islands in Osaka Bay.
Passengers stranded overnight appeared relieved but exhausted after an uneasy night in the dark.
Hideko Senoo, a 51-year-old homemaker planning a family trip to India, said the terminal was hot and dark after losing power, and food at convenience stores was sold out.
"We could not use vending machines or access the wireless network to get information," she told Japan's Kyodo News service.
Miki Yamada, a 25-year-old office worker planning a trip to Thailand with her friend, told Kyodo she spent the night at an airport cafeteria. "It was a rather scary night, as we were so isolated," she said.
The Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka was closed for a second day Wednesday but said it would reopen Thursday.
Factories in the region, including automaker Daihatsu Motor Co., electronics giant Panasonic and beverage maker Kirin Co., were expected to resume operations Wednesday after suspending production during the typhoon, Kyodo said.
The deaths included a man in his 70s who was blown to the ground from his apartment in Osaka prefecture. Police said at least five others died elsewhere in the prefecture after being hit by flying objects or falling from their apartments. In nearby Shiga prefecture, a 71-year-old man died when a storage building collapsed on him, and a man in his 70s died after falling from a roof in Mie, officials said.
In Nishinomiya in Hyogo prefecture, about 100 cars at a seaside dealership burned after their electrical systems were shorted out by sea water, fire officials and news reports said.
- AAP/AP
