Fatalities Reported Following 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake

A series of powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of off the coast of Ishikawa, Japan, on January 1, leaving at least three people dead. The quakes began around 4 p.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), with the largest measuring at a magnitude of 7.6.

Officials issued tsunami warnings and ordered people living near the coast to evacuate to higher ground. The warnings have since been downgraded to advisories, and the largest waves reported were about four feet high.

The earthquakes destroyed roads and caused buildings to collapse. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that search-and-rescue teams have been deployed but noted that progress was slow because the crews had to use boats due to the damaged roads.

Authorities said that three people died in building collapses. Two people were killed in Nanao City, and one person died in Shika Town.

Susan Hough, a seismologist with the United States Geological Survey, told CNN that the aftershocks caused by the quake could last for several months.

"An earthquake this big is going to continue to have aftershocks. It could easily have aftershocks bigger than magnitude 6, so that is going to be a hazard in its own right," she explained.