Over in Japan, a powerful earthquake hit Hokkaido early Thursday.
According to the country's news outlets... the natural disaster took at least 7 lives
and left dozens missing.
Ko Roon-hee bring us the updates.
At least seven people have been killed and more than 2-hundred people have been injured
after a powerful earthquake struck the Japanese island of Hokkaido early Thursday morning.
The magnitude 6-point-7 quake triggered landslides… and there have been dozens of aftershocks.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tremor struck just 65 kilometers southeast
of the city of Sapporo at a depth of 40 kilometers.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that helicopter crews are carrying out rescue operations…but
dozens are still missing.
The quake also caused an entire blackout in the area,… leaving millions without power.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the Japanese government has set an emergency task force…and
25-thousand Self-Defense Force personnel will be sent to the region.
"I have received damage reports from this earthquake, there have been possible fatalities,
landslides, collapsed buildings, and a large scale blackout.
Saving people's lives is the government's utmost priority and we will deal with the
disaster relief collectively.
We will manage this crisis as best we can."
The quake comes after another deadly disaster, Typhoon Jebi, which struck the Kansai region
in the west of the country earlier in the week.
Japan's most powerful typhoon in 25 years left at least 11 people dead.
Thousands were left stranded at Kansai International Airport due to flooding... with passengers
now being moved to another nearby airport.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that Kansai Airport will partially
resume operations by the end of Friday...and added that international flights will restart
as soon as they are ready.
Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News.