TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese man residing in Japan captured video of the chaotic scenes that unfolded when the Sea of Japan earthquake struck on New Year's Day.
At 4:10 p.m. Japan Time on Monday (Jan. 1) a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture killing at least 30. One of the landmarks to sustain damage from the quake was Kanazawa Station in the prefecture's Kanazawa City.
According to Jiji Press, the force of the temblor caused water pipes in the station ceilings to burst, dumping water on the building's floors. Due to concerns the ceilings may collapse, passengers were guided by staff outside of the station and entry was restricted.
Video footage from the moment the earthquake struck the station soon circulated on social media. One video showed the station sign boards shaking violently during the temblor.
Another video showed items flying off of shelves, customers ducking for cover, and family members huddling together for safety in a department store inside the station. The man who captured the video is a Taiwanese citizen residing in Tokyo surnamed Hsu (許).
Hsu told Taiwan News that based on his previous experiences with earthquakes in Taiwan and Japan when the temblor initially struck, he did not think it was that serious. However, once he saw the pipes bursting, he realized it was a major earthquake.
Hsu, who works at a hotel in Fuji Yoshida City, said that there a number of Taiwanese tourists inside the department store when the quake struck.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 567 Taiwanese tourists are stuck in areas of Japan impacted by the quake.
Video shows impact of Japan's magnitude 7.6 earthquake on department store in Kanazawa Station https://t.co/00EjpdvJ1P pic.twitter.com/R8mfgdwMeJ
— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNewsEN) January 2, 2024
