Riyaz ul Khaliq
22 March 2022•Update: 23 March 2022
ISTANBUL
Authorities in Japan on Tuesday warned of possible power outages in parts of the country after last week's earthquake damaged infrastructure.
People in Tokyo and eight other provinces have been asked to save electricity.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the electricity “demand is still exceeding the target level” in the country.
“We ask for your cooperation in maximizing power saving in both the Tokyo and (other) regions,” said Kishida.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO) and Tohoku Electric Power Co. provide electricity to these regions.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, TEPCO said a “wide range of power outages will have to be carried out” despite power saving by people during evening hours.
The power outages will affect up to 3 million households in the capital and other eastern and northeastern areas.
Last week’s earthquake has constricted power supplies in the country.
Authorities fear power outages “could occur if hydroelectric power plants run out of water to pump in.”
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Japan’s northwestern Iwate state, killing one person and injuring over 160 others.
The quake occurred off the coast of Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures at a depth of 20 kilometers (over 12.42 miles) at 11.25 p.m. local time (0236GMT).
