Abe Visits Quake-Hit Hokkaido

September 10, 2018

Sapporo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday visited the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, hit hard by Thursday's strong earthquake.

Abe flew to Hokkaido on a Self-Defense Force aircraft and inspected roads in Sapporo damaged by soil liquefaction due to the quake.

He also took a helicopter ride over Atsuma, where the temblor measured 7, highest on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, to survey landslides and other damage.

The prime minister also went to a site in the town where SDF and other personnel were working to remove earth.

He visited evacuation centers at Atsuma and the neighboring town of Abira to give encouragements to evacuees.

Abe met with Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi and conveyed the central government's policy of doing its utmost in search and rescue as well as for restoration of critical infrastructure and assistance to disaster-affected citizens.

Takahashi asked Abe to designate the quake as a disaster of extreme severity so that stronger financial assistance will be provided from the state.

After returning to Tokyo, Abe attended a meeting of cabinet members to respond to the disaster at the prime minister's office.

The government will spend 540 million yen from its contingency reserves to help areas hit by the temblor, Abe told the meeting, adding that the spending will be decided Monday.

At a news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the heavily affected towns of Atsuma, Abira and Mukawa will be excluded from the areas where Hokkaido Electric Power Co. <9509> may carry out rolling blackouts in the event of a serious power supply shortage. Jiji Press