Multiple Earthquakes on the Same Day, Ten Injured in Japan

(Minghui.org) On January 22, 2022, earthquakes occurred in many parts of the world and over 10 people were injured from the earthquake in Japan. A rare snowstorm hit all parts of Turkey, forcing one of the busiest airports in Europe to be temporarily closed and thousands of cars stranded on the road. Greece was hit by a cold snap, causing traffic chaos and power outages.

More Than 10 Injured in Japan’s 6.6-magnitude Earthquake

Earthquakes occurred in many parts of the world on January 22, 2022. Among them, the 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Kyushu, Japan, caused more than a dozen people to be injured. There was another 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Alaska, the United States; a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in the Tarau Islands in Indonesia; and more than 5.0-magnitude ones in the Philippines and Mexico.

In addition, according to the latest information from the Central Meteorological Administration, at 10:35 p.m. on January 25, a 5.0- magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of Yilan County, Taiwan, with a depth of 63.8 kilometers and the maximum magnitude of 3.0 in Yilan County and Hsinchu County.

Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that the Japan Meteorological Agency and local authorities recorded that at 1:08 a.m. local time on January 22, southwestern and western Japan was hit by a 6.6-magnitude earthquake. More than a dozen people were injured in the strong shaking, but the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami.

This earthquake was at a depth of 45 kilometers, and the agency raised its magnitude to 6.6 from an initial estimate of 6.4.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported on January 22 that a 6.2-magnitude occurred near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA (53.316 degrees north latitude, 166.751 degrees west longitude). The earthquake occurred at a depth of 42.8 kilometers.

In addition to Japan and the United States, earthquakes also occurred in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Mexico on January 22, including 6.0-magnitude earthquakes in the southern part of Sarangani in the Philippines and the Kabupaten Kepulauan Talaud Islands in Indonesia, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake in Baganga in southern Philippines and eastern Mindanao and a 5.3-magnitude earthquake near the Gulf of California and Bahía de Lobos, Mexico, with a focal depth of 10 kilometers.

Turkey’s Rare Blizzard Turns Many Roads into Parking Lots in the Economic Capital

A rare snowstorm hit all parts of Turkey for several consecutive days beginning on January 21, 2022, and inter-city traffic was temporarily interrupted due to the heavy snow.

According to the Central News Agency, major roads in central and southeastern Turkey, including the highway connecting the economic capital, the largest city Istanbul and the capital Ankara, were temporarily closed due to heavy snow and thick fog.

Istanbul Airport, Europe’s busiest airport, was forced to suspend flights on January 24. This is the first time that Istanbul’s new airport on the coast has been closed since it officially opened in April 2019.

Eighty centimeters of snow accumulated in parts of Istanbul in two days. Since January 24, many main roads have been turned into parking lots as thousands of drivers abandoned their cars to take shelter from the snow. People in Istanbul have been stuck on the road for more than 30 hours without food, water or fuel. The government evacuated nearly 5,000 motorists who were trapped in the snow and nearly died from freezing.

Even the year-round warm Mediterranean resort of Antalya Province and Mugla Province near the Aegean experienced snow for the first time in 29 and 30 years respectively.

According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey (AFAD), 4,603 people were stranded across the country and 15,698 people in 19 provinces stayed in hotels due to bad weather.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned that there was a risk of avalanches at high altitudes in places such as the eastern side of the Black Sea region and the eastern Anatolian plateau.

Blizzard Hits Greece, Large Numbers of Vehicles Trapped, Local Power Outages

Greece was hit by a cold snap on January 24, 2022. Snow fell in most areas across the country. The capital Athens was also affected by heavy snow, and schools, parliaments and vaccination centers were forced to close.

The cold snap brought the heaviest snow in Athens in a decade, with temperatures plummeting to minus 14 degrees Celsius (6.8 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.

The blizzard caused traffic chaos. Rescuers, including the army, worked through the night to evacuate thousands of people trapped in cars on a road in Athens. Several people were trapped in the car for more than 10 hours.

Reuters reported that Greek government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou stated that more than 3,500 people had been evacuated by early morning on January 25. Some trapped passengers abandoned their cars and walked in the wind and snow, but about 1,200 cars remained stuck on the main ring road of Athens.

The blizzard caused power outages in parts of Athens, and until the time of writing, the power company was still trying to restore power.