Japan in first civilian evacuation drills preparing for North Korea nuclear attack
Japan holds evacuation drill ready for North Korea nuke strike
About 100 people, including 44 schoolchildren, took part in various exercises in the coastal town of Oga on Friday.
The move was aimed at fine-tuning a possible future evacuation of the area in the event of a ballistic missile attack on its citizens, after Kim Jong-un intensifies his sabre-rattling with more missile tests.
During the exercises local residents were moved to a number of shelters, including a public hall, a junior school as well as other centres around the city.
Children take part in the drill in JapanReuters
Japanese children take part in the evacuation drill
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Security supervisor Osamu Saito said: "Anything can happen these days, and it's even more true when we cannot anticipate the behaviour of our neighbouring countries.”
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Security supervisor Osamu Saito said: "Anything can happen these days, and it's even more true when we cannot anticipate the behaviour of our neighbouring countries.”
The emergency drill started at 9:30 am local time in Kitaura district when the local authorities were alerted of a possible missile attack on Japan.
The government used a special service, called J-Alert, to convey the message. The evacuation was announced via loudspeakers, urging residents to take shelter.
The loudspeaker message told residents: ”The missile is seen to have landed within a 20-km (12-mile) boundary west of the Oga peninsula.
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A H-IIA rocket, carrying a government's information gathering radar satellite, lifts off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the Japanese southwestern island of Tanegashima, Japan [REUTERS]
"The government is currently examining the damage."
Some of the participants are however sceptical about the drills.
One resident told the Raptly news agency: ”If in case a missile falls, we will be entirely destroyed, you know?"
Hideo Motokawa, a 73-year-old participant, said: "I've seen missiles flying between foreign countries on television, but I never imagined this would happen to us.
“It's a scary thing. If it did actually happen, I don't think we can do what we practiced today. We'll just be panicked.”
Evacuation drill in JapanAFP
Japan undertakes an evacuation drill
Oga is located across the Sea of Japan from North Korea. And although their northern neighbor wasn’t specifically mentioned as the attacking party, Tokyo has voiced concerns over the recent missile test by Pyongyang.
Oga is located across the Sea of Japan from North Korea. And although their northern neighbor wasn’t specifically mentioned as the attacking party, Tokyo has voiced concerns over the recent missile test by Pyongyang.
North Korea fired four ballistic missiles on March 5, three of which landed in Japanese territorial waters, including one just 124 miles away from Oga.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday the American “policy of strategic patience” with North Korea has ended.
He noted that military action against Pyongyang is something still “on the table” if the country’s weapons program would reach a level that “requires action.”
He expressed hopes, though, that it won’t get that far. US President Donald Trump also weighed in on the day, accusing North Korea on twitter of “behaving very badly.”
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Friday the missile drill was worthwhile, to help educate the public.
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