Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

A11
WORLD NEWS Tuesday 19 June 2018

Strong quake near Osaka, Japan, kills 4, knocks over walls

By MARI YAMAGUCHI and out water.
KEN MORITSUGU Many homes and buildings,
Associated Press including a major hospital,
TOKYO (AP) — Residents in were temporarily without
western Japan were clean- power, though electricity
ing up debris Monday eve- was restored at most plac-
ning after a powerful earth- es by midafternoon.
quake hit the area around Due to damage to under-
Osaka, the country's sec- ground gas lines, 110,000
ond-largest city, killing four homes in Takatsuki and
people and injuring hun- Ibaraki cities were without
dreds while knocking over gas, and repairs are ex-
walls and setting off fires. pected to take as long as
The magnitude 6.1 earth- two weeks, according to
quake that struck the Osaka Gas Co.
area early Monday dam- More building damage was
aged buildings and left found in the afternoon as
many homes without wa- disaster and relief workers
ter or gas. The quake also inspected and cleaned up
grounded flights in and out the affected areas. Roofs
of Osaka and paralyzed and roof tiles at homes and
traffic and commuter trains at least one temple fell to
most of the day. the ground in Osaka. At a
By evening, bullet trains shrine in Kyoto, stone lan-
and some local trains had The gate of Myotoku-ji temple collapses after an earthquake hit Ibaraki City, Osaka, western terns broke and collapsed
resumed operation, and Japan, Monday, June 18, 2018. to the ground.
stations were swollen with Associated Press Defense troops joined res-
commuters trying to get cue and relief operations in
home, many of them wait- the collapsed upper half old man in nearby Ibaraki sengers exited trains on the parts of Osaka, along with
ing in long lines. An exodus of the high wall, which was died after a bookcase fell tracks between stations. special vehicles to deliver
of commuters who chose painted cheerfully with on top of him at home, Some subway service re- clean drinking water.
to walk home filled side- flowers, trees and blue sky according to the disaster sumed in the afternoon, Residents cleaned up de-
walks and bridges. and surrounded the school management agency. but stations remained bris at home and stores
Some commuters took ref- swimming pool. The Fire and Disaster Man- crowded with passengers throughout the day. Mete-
uge in nearby shelters in- Mayor Takeshi Hamada agement Agency said 307 waiting for trains to restart, orological agency officials
stead of going home. NHK apologized over her death people were treated for many of them sitting on the warned of strong after-
public television showed because of the wall's col- injuries at hospitals. Most of floor. Long lines of people shocks in the area, urging
dozens of men wearing ties lapse. The city acknowl- the injured were in Osaka. waited to board bullet residents to stay away from
and carrying briefcases sit- edged that the wall did Osaka officials did not give trains as they resumed op- damaged structures.
ting on gym mats at a junior not meet building safety details, but the injuries re- eration. The earthquake reminded
high school gymnasium in codes. The structure was ported in Kyoto and three Some manufacturers, in- many of the magnitude 7.3
Ibaraki city, where some old and made of concrete other neighboring prefec- cluding automakers Dai- Kobe quake in 1995 that
families also gathered. blocks — a known risk in tures were all minor. hatsu Motor Co. and Hon- killed more than 6,000 peo-
Takatsuki city confirmed earthquakes. Chief Cabi- The quake struck shortly be- da Motor Co., electronics ple in the region. Monday's
another victim late Mon- net Secretary Yoshihide fore 8 a.m. north of Osaka makers Panasonic and quake also followed a se-
day, as the death toll rose Suga ordered the Educa- at a depth of about 13 kilo- Sharp Corp., and con- ries of smaller quakes near
to four. City officials didn't tion Ministry to conduct na- meters (8 miles), the Japan fectioners Ezaki Glico Co. Tokyo in recent weeks. Ja-
have details of the victim, tionwide safety checks of Meteorological Agency and Meiji Co., temporarily pan's northern prefectures
but NHK and Kyodo News concrete block structures said. The strongest shaking stopped production lines at are still recovering from a
reported that an 81-year- at public schools. was north of Osaka, but the their factories in the region magnitude 9.0 quake and
old woman was found More than 1,000 schools quake rattled large parts of for safety checks, news re- tsunami in 2011 that killed
dead underneath a ward- were closed in Osaka and western Japan, including ports said. more than 18,000.
robe that fell on her at her nearby prefectures, Kyodo Kyoto, the agency said. The quake knocked over "It was not as bad as the
home in Takatsuki. News reported. Wall cracks Dozens of domestic flights walls, broke windows and Kobe quake," said Jun
Also in Takatsuki, a con- and other minor dam- in and out of Osaka were set off scattered building Kawanami, a 30-year-old
crete wall at an elemen- age were found at several grounded, while train and fires. It toppled furniture in lawyer in Osaka. He said
tary school fell onto the schools. subway service in the Osa- homes and goods onto his wife ducked under a
street, killing 9-year-old A man in his 80s died in the ka area, including bullet shop floors. It also cracked table and elevators in his
Rina Miyake as she walked collapse of a concrete wall trains, was suspended to roads and broke water office building were out of
to the school. NHK showed in Osaka city. An 85-year- check for damage. Pas- pipes, leaving homes with- operation.q