The first quake occured at 5:56 p.m., and the magnitude of the quake was 6.8. According to Japan's Meteorological Agency, over two hundreds of aftershocks were recorded by Sunday morning, and the agency has been calling for caution over strong quakes. It's reported that at least 26 people are dead, and over 2000 people are injured in Niigata Prefecture and the vicinity. About 98,000 people have been evacuated to shelters. So many homes are still without electricity, gas, and water.
When the first quake occurred on Saturday evening, the Joetsu Shinkansen Toki No. 325 derailed near the JR (Japan Railway) Nagaoka Station. It was the first derailment in the 40-year history of Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains. Fortunately, nobody was injured by this accident. It's said to take a few weeks to restore the Joetsu Shinkansen Line, and currently Joetsu Shinkansen Line is closed between Echigo-yuzawa Station and Niigata Station. Also, many local JR lines are closed because of the damages.
