Japan conducted an evacuation drill on Sunday in a small coastal town on the Sea of Japan after being warned of a ballistic missile attack amidst tensions with North Korea's burgeoning missile and nuclear programme.
Hundreds of residents of Abu were rushed to safety as part of the evacuation drill. Reports state that the drill coincided with the three-day joint military drill between Japan's naval and air forces and United States' aircraft carriers in the Sea of Japan, according to ANI reports.
According to the estimates based on the recent missile launches conducted by North Korea, a Pyongyang missile would take 10 minutes to reach the Japanese territory.
The authorities in Japan have informed their citizens that they would be notified of an imminent missile attack on Japan at least 10 minutes before the projectile hitting the country. The Japanese government has also published a guideline on how to protect themselves against an "armed attack and terrorism."
Reports state that around 280 people were involved in the drills; these people were alerted to a potentially devastating missile launch through loudspeakers as blaring sirens stunned school children playing outside a local elementary school.
The evacuation drills were conducted to test the effectiveness of emergency communication in the region, and also to ensure that everyone should find their way to a designated shelter space in case of a real-life missile attack in the area.
According to Russia Today reports, a scenario of an imaginative strike was created in the town, in which the missile was set to fall near the Yamaguchi Prefecture where Abu is located. The town houses around 3,400 people.
The drills were ordered by the Japanese government and saw the participation of the fire service and disaster management agency.
North Korea has continued to develop and test nuclear and ballistic missiles despite several sanctions imposed on it from the United Nations. The North's ambitious missile programme looms as a threat to nearby nations including Japan and South Korea.
