25 dead,several fear trapped as 155 earthquakes hit Japan in one day

 Relief and rescue operations are underway and people buried under the debris are being searched. Police and local officials reported bodies being pulled from the debris of collapsed buildings early Tuesday.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck Japan in mid-afternoon on Monday, destroying many buildings, knocking out power to thousands of homes and forcing residents of some coastal areas to flee to higher ground. The earthquake caused waves about 1 meter (3.3 ft) high along Japan's long western coastline as well as in neighboring South Korea.

The Japan Meteorological Office said there have been 155 earthquakes in Japan since Monday, including one with a magnitude of 7.6 and one with a magnitude greater than 6. The JMA said most of the earthquakes were greater than magnitude 3 and although the intensity has gradually reduced, six strong aftershocks were still felt early Tuesday. At least twenty five people were killed after a massive earthquake struck central Japan on New Year's Day, triggering tsunami waves more than a meter high, damaging homes and sparking massive fires that burned through the night, officials said Tuesday. Wreaked havoc.

Military personnel have been sent to affected areas to help with relief and rescue operations, while a local airport in the worst-hit Ishikawa prefecture was closed after cracks opened in the runway due to the quake. A day after the disaster The extent of the damage as well as the number of deaths are not yet clearly known. Major roads in the worst-hit areas have been badly damaged, hampering rescue efforts.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters late Monday that search and rescue teams were struggling to reach the worst-hit areas because of badly damaged and blocked roads. Many rail services and flights have also been suspended in the affected areas.

The Japanese government said that as of Monday night it had ordered more than 97,000 people in nine prefectures on the west coast of the main island of Honshu to evacuate their homes. They were spending the night in sports halls and school gymnasiums, which are usually used as evacuation centers in emergencies.

About 33,000 homes remained without power in Ishikawa Prefecture on Tuesday morning, according to the Hokuriku Electric Power (9505.T) website. The Imperial Household Agency said it was canceling a planned New Year's Eve appearance by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Tuesday following the disaster.

The quake comes at a sensitive time for Japan's nuclear industry, which has faced intense opposition from some locals since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that led to a nuclear explosion in Fukushima. Entire cities were destroyed in that disaster. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities were found at nuclear plants along the Sea of Japan, including five active reactors at the Kansai Electric Power (9503.T) Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui prefecture. Hokuriku Electric's Shika plant, which is closest to the epicenter, had stopped two of its reactors before the quake for routine inspections and saw no impact, the agency said.