ATSUMA, Hokkaido -- After a powerful earthquake struck Hokkaido early Thursday, about 30 people were unaccounted for in Atsuma, which was hit by major landslides. In a mudslide-hit residential area in the town, which is situated along a river, people who had fled without any belongings prayed for the safety of their relatives, friends and others whom they were unable to reach.
"When I was sleeping, a big vertical tremor struck suddenly and I was surprised," said an 89-year-old man who lives next to a house damaged by one of the mudslides in the Asahi district in the north of the town.
"After I went outside, the house next door was pushed to the road by the mudslide. I was struck speechless to see a tree break through the house. I sincerely hope the residents are safe."
His own house escaped damage from the landslide triggered by the earthquake, which registered the highest level of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, but belongings were scattered inside the house. A clock in the living room stopped due to the intense tremor.
"I've been living in this area ever since I was born. But I've never encountered this kind of thing," he added.
An 80-year-old man -- whose relatives, a married couple in their 80s, may have been struck by the mudslide -- said he had kept calling since the morning but was unable to reach them. "It was a powerful earthquake that I've never heard of in Atsuma. I hope the two are safe," he said nervously while watching a search operation by police.
A 62-year-old man living nearby rushed to a collapsed house to attempt a rescue. He found only part of the second floor of the house in a location about 20 meters away from its original site. He called out, but no one responded. Members of a fire brigade and others began a rescue operation, using shovels and power shovels.
His 86-year-old mother prayed for the safety of the residents, saying, "I thought [this place] was dangerous with a steep slope especially after yesterday's rain from the typhoon."
Atsuma is a southwestern Hokkaido town, about 60 kilometers southeast of central Sapporo.
The town is known for growing rice, and its haskap berry production is among the largest in the nation. Adjacent to cities such as Tomakomai and Yubari, the town faces the Pacific Ocean and is home to Hama-Atsuma Beach, a leading surfing spot in Hokkaido. As of the end of March last year, its population was 4,659. A seismic intensity of upper 5 was recorded when the area was hit by the Tokachi-oki Earthquake (Tokachi offshore earthquake) in September 2003.
According to the Atsuma municipal government, the earthquake on early Thursday morning caused mudslides in the northern part of the town, and at least several houses were swamped in the mud. Among 40 residents in the neighboring areas, some people were rescued by a helicopter, but more than 30 others remained unaccounted for, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and other sources.
A 33-year-old woman who is a company employee living in the Yoshino district survived together with her 32-year-old brother, as they were on the second floor of the house. However, they were unable to reach their parents, who had been sleeping on the first floor, into which the mud poured. A mountain slope behind their house seemed to have collapsed shortly after the powerful quake. She heard windows on the first floor break. She and her brother used the light of a smartphone to find their way out of the house via a window. The two then found the first floor of the house crushed by the mud and pushed forward by about 10 meters.
"It happened quickly," she said with a weary look. "I'm so confused. I don't know what has happened."
A 78-year-old resident of the same district who escaped by breaking a window on the first floor said tearfully: "I wanted to take out the mortuary tablet at least, but couldn't take out anything. I was relieved to be safe, but I'm worried about how I will live now."
A 22-year-old university student who evacuated with his family said: "I'm concerned that my friend's family is missing and may have been buried in the mud. I hope they will be found soon."
In the town hall of Abira where the earthquake registered upper 6, bookshelves and other items fell down and documents were scattered around. In the center of the town, stores' brick walls collapsed and their glass doors were broken. Gravestones also fell over at a temple.
Hokkaido Gov. Harumi Takahashi said: "Currently, we haven't been able to gather information sufficient to report anything concrete. With land routes being disconnected, rescue operations are expected to be tough. But we will respond with top priority placed on the lives of people."
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