Strong Earthquake Hits Northwestern Japan, Destroying Homes.

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck off the Noto Peninsula on Japan's northwest coast, causing widespread destruction and triggering a tsunami warning. Several buildings collapsed, and people were trapped inside. The government has deployed the Self-Defense Forces to the affected area, and emergency services are overwhelmed with calls for help. Train services and power plants have been suspended, roads and an airport runway are closed, and mobile phone services are affected. There have been injuries reported, and a major fire broke out in the city of Wajima. Japan issued a tsunami warning for its western coast, and areas as far north as Hokkaido recorded tsunamis. South Korea also experienced small tsunamis. The earthquake impacted power plants in the region, leading to power outages for thousands of households. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of potential large aftershocks in the coming week. Japan is prone to earthquakes, and in 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami and caused a nuclear disaster. [Extracted from the article]