Self-Defense Forces personnel are preparing to begin operations following a request for their dispatch by the governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference Sunday morning.
The governor asked that the SDF be sent to assist with water supply in the wake of the earthquake late Saturday night off the coast of prefecture.
According to Kato, three people had been confirmed to be in serious condition from quake-related injuries, and 70 to have minor injuries, as of 8 a.m. Sunday.
Regarding damage to the Tohoku Shinkansen, the chief cabinet secretary said: "Our current plans are to suspend operations on Monday, and inspect and restore some of the electric poles that are leaning over."
As to the coronavirus vaccine that had arrived in Japan, Kato said, "I checked with Pfizer [a U.S. pharmaceutical company that jointly developed the vaccine], and the location where they are storing the vaccine has not been affected by the power outages."
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