Earthquake And Tidal Waves Hit Japan

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26672, 5 March 1952, Page 7

Earthquake And Tidal Waves Hit Japan

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec, 11.50 p.m.) " TOKYO, March 4. A massive earthquake, followed by a series of tidal waves five to 10 feet high, wrought death and destruction in northern Japan to»day. First reports said that at least 28 persons were killed, Raging fires broke out in coastal cities as buildings collapsed when Hokkaido and the northern Honshu islands were rocked for 10 minutes.

The headman in Hamanaka village, on Hokkaido, reported that tidal waves swept away 400 homes there. Three 70-ton vessels were smashed into the wharf at Kushiro, a port in southern Hokkaido, and were reported to have sunk.

One passenger-goods train was wrecked and four others were involved in accidents. Gaping fissures were opened on Hokkaido.

The earth tremors in Kushiro killed 13 persons and many more are missing. Fifteen others were killed at a coal mine near Kushiro.

The earthquake was centred in the ocean about 25 miles from the shore. The first tidal wave, about five feet high, struck the islands shortly after the earthquake was leit. Four more followed in quick succession and coastal residents fled to the hills.

The earthquake caused no damage in the heavily-populated Tokyo area. The newspaper “Hokkaido Shimbun’’ said it was the biggest earthquake on the northern-most island since 1884. Four schools collapsed in Sapporo, and another in Hokkaido city, but it is not known at present whether there were any casualties. Telephone communications to the devastated area are disrupted. Tokyo police reports indicate that there may be serious damage at Tomakomai, a paper manufacturing city on the southern coast of Hokkaido. The extent of damage to American Army installations on Hokkaido is unknown. The tidal waves smashed into the shore at Sendai, on the east coast of Honshu, where United States troops are quartered. Sendai is 250 miles north of Tokyo.