On January 1, 2024, at 1610 Japan time, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck Ishikawa Prefecture, on the Noto Peninsula of western Japan, and coastal areas of Hokkaido. Tsunami warnings were issued for regions along the coast. In the central area of Wajima City, a hundred buildings were engulfed in flames and 50 houses collapsed. According to NHK, as of January 3, 62 lives had been lost in Ishikawa Prefecture, with the exact number of injuries still being calculated.
As of 1746 Japan time on January 2, approximately 32,000 local people were seeking refuge in shelters in Ishikawa and Toyama Prefectures. As of the morning of the 2nd, about 47,000 households in Ishikawa Prefecture were experiencing power outages and many areas were still facing water shortages. Medical facilities are grappling with the challenges of both power and water supply disruptions.
In response to the strong earthquake in Ishikawa, Taiwan's National Fire Agency under the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), mobilized a total of 134 rescuers, 4 search and rescue dogs, and 16 tons of rescue equipment, ready for deployment. On the evening of January 1, Tzu Chi promptly delivered supplies -- a total of 4.3 tons (355 cartons) of food, medicine, and other essential items to the MOI. This included 1,980 blankets, 160 packs of 5 kg ready-to-eat rice, and 2,650 packs of multigrain rice sticks. Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital also prepared medications and medical materials, including topical medications, pain relievers, cough medicine, gastro-intestinal medications, anti-hypertensives, anti-diabetic drugs, anti-histamines, and bronchodilators. They are sufficient for 80 medical personnel for 14 days, totaling 24 cartons. According to Simon Shyong (熊士民), Deputy CEO of the Tzu Chi Foundation, all the relief goods are currently on standby in Taoyuan, near the international airport.
In Japan, local Tzu Chi volunteers have one by one reported back to confirm their safety. Now they are waiting for the right moment to go to the disaster-stricken areas. The earthquake has caused severe disruptions, and Tzu Chi Japan volunteers are checking on the well-being of residents.
The CEO of Tzu Chi Japan, Li-Shing Lin Shyu (許麗香), said: "We do not have any certified volunteers living in Ishikawa Prefecture, but we have several donating members who live there. However, due to communication challenges and some being evacuated from their homes, a few are still uncontactable. We will continue to follow up on their whereabouts."
From Taiwan, Master Cheng Yen, founder of Tzu Chi, has reached out to learn more about the local situation. In an online meeting on January 2, Master Cheng Yen asked: "Are there plans to go there (quake-affected area) today?"
Shyu responded: "Currently, there are no immediate plans because the road conditions are unclear. We don’t have plans to go there just yet."
Master Cheng Yen cautioned: "There’s no need to rush. It’s best to stay put and listen carefully, gather more information, and wait. We should wait until the roads are safe because there will be numerous aftershocks after the earthquake." She has advised the volunteers to be patient and to observe carefully. Once it is safe to travel, swift support should be provided.
