"Run Away Immediately" Broadcast... Death Toll from Japan Earthquake Surges to 48

Deaths Surge from 5 to 48
Airports and Hospitals Paralyzed... Widespread Damage Reported

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, causing the death toll to surge from the initial report of 5 to 48. Learning from the Great East Japan Earthquake, NHK and others responded actively, but due to the large scale of the earthquake, there are concerns that the number of casualties will increase further.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 2nd, NHK reported that as of 3 p.m. that day, the death toll in Ishikawa Prefecture due to the earthquake had reached 48. Most lost their lives due to building collapses during the quake. The number of seriously injured and missing persons is currently surging to the point where an accurate count is impossible. According to Suzu City in Ishikawa Prefecture, at least 60 people were transported to hospitals from this city alone due to the earthquake.

However, some hospitals are experiencing water outages due to earthquake damage, making surgeries and dialysis difficult to perform, and most hospitals have damaged exterior walls and broken windows, making it difficult to admit patients.

Roads are also cut off in many places, leaving residents and tourists stranded. According to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, about 500 people, including airport users and nearby residents, are currently trapped in the parking lot of Noto Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture. The airport also suffered damage from the earthquake, such as broken terminal interior glass and collapsed ceilings, so all evacuees are waiting inside buses or rental cars in the parking lot. Several cracks more than 10 cm deep and 10 m long were found on the runway, but repair crews have not yet arrived at the airport, making recovery prospects uncertain.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A fire broke out at Asai Chidori, a tourist spot in Wajima City, burning about 200 houses and shops. The flames have mostly been brought under control, but it was reported that water outages caused by the earthquake made firefighting difficult.

The number of casualties is expected to rise further. Currently, 129 aftershocks of magnitude 2 or higher have been observed on the Noto Peninsula, and the earthquakes continue. Rescue operations are still ongoing as of the morning of the same day in Ishikawa, Niigata, Fukui, and Toyama Prefectures to save residents trapped in collapsed buildings or landslides.

However, there is also a view that, learning from the Great East Japan Earthquake, NHK and other Japanese media have been more proactive in disaster broadcasting than in the past, which helped prevent additional damage.

NHK broadcast screen at the time the tsunami warning was issued. (Photo by NHK)

The previous day, NHK announcer Izumi Yamauchi calmly delivered earthquake special reports, but when a tsunami warning was issued, she pleaded in a desperate tone, saying, "Your life is in danger. Evacuate immediately," "Do not return home; head to higher ground right away," and "Do not watch TV; run away."

Some criticized this, saying "The announcer is not calm and is causing confusion," and "It’s noisy," but it is known that this kind of 'loud broadcast' was a strategy of NHK’s announcer office, which has continued disaster reporting.

During the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japanese media calmly reported the tsunami warning as if it were a normal news broadcast, and many people lost their lives because they did not evacuate.

Therefore, NHK adopted a strategy where announcers, who usually deliver news calmly, suddenly show a strongly emotional and unusual demeanor to instill in viewers the awareness that something serious is happening.

Japan’s media News Post Seven quoted an NHK broadcasting official saying, "Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, NHK has reviewed and improved its large-scale disaster coverage," and "From 2018 to 2020, more than 40 regional stations nationwide participated in creating a 600-page reporting manual."

Considering bedtime after sunset, NHK distributed guidelines during the evening hours. They advised attaching film to the glass windows around the bed to prevent breakage, securing furniture that could fall, and keeping lights on in case an earthquake occurs at night. (Photo by NHK)

NHK and other Japanese media are sending timely and appropriate disaster information through social networking services (SNS).

When a tsunami warning is issued, they announce rules such as "Never return home even if it seems safe," and after dark, they distribute images that clearly show how to protect body temperature for survival and safety manuals for sleeping. Most of these are based on lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake, including how to use smartphones as lighting instead of candles, which were a cause of nighttime fires.

Messenger profile distributed by the Japanese media platform Ameba. It is peaceful, but contains a message asking to refrain from unnecessary contact to save battery. (Photo by Ameba)

Additionally, they shared tips on saving phone battery by turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and to prevent phones from dying due to unnecessary safety confirmation messages, they shared profile images stating "I am safe. I am at the evacuation shelter. Please contact me later to save battery."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.