Stock Photo - Jun. 06, 1964 - Japan Earthquake Disaster: The city of Niigata is a blazing shambles after the severe earthquake which took place at 1.02pm on Tuesday isolating it for the rest of Japan as railway lines buckled, and the runway of the airport partly disappeared, there is now water, electricity of sewerage remaining and thousands are homeless. The port of Niigate, one of the Principal oil refining cities, suffered a double catastrophy as oil tanks burst spreading blazing oil over hundreds of houses nearby, destroying 291 of them. The 90 oil tanks which went up in flames contained 400,000 kiloliters. So far 25 persons are known to have perished, and several hundred injured. Nearly 2,000 houses were destroyed, 30 being washed away in a tidal wave which followed the earthquake and more than 14,000 homes are flooded. Photo Shows Refugees who have fled from their homes watch Niigata burn from a village on the outskirts of the city. (Credit Image: © Keystone Press Agency/Keystone USA via ZUMAPRESS.com)