Earthquake hits Noto Peninsula

   An earthquake registering a magnitude at 6.9 on the Richter scale occurred off Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on March 25, killing one and injuring 279 (as of March 31).

   As surveys still show an increase in the number of completely or partly destroyed houses, over 1,100 people (as of March 31) took shelter at evacuation sites.

   Immediately after the occurrence of the earthquake, the Japanese Communist Party established a task force to deal with the suffering, with Secretariat Head and House of Councilors member Ichida Tadayoshi as its chief.

   Task Force Vice Chief and House of Councilors member Inoue Satoshi and members of the team visited the quake-hit area on March 25 to examine the damage. The JCP team decided that the party will request the central government to ensure supplies of meals, clothes, and dwellings for the quake victims.

   The JCP Ishikawa Prefectural Committee set up the countermeasures headquarters. JCP local assembly members and local branches are working to listen to the victims in order to help them with relief measures.

   The JCP Prefectural Committee on March 31 submitted an urgent request to Ishikawa Governor Tanimoto Masanori, asking him to establish a system to help the victims reconstruct their houses and restore their livelihoods, and measures to assist the reconstruction of local industries.

- Akahata daily & Sunday editions, April 1, 2007