Rising death toll from Japan Earthquake… What are the latest developments in rescue operations?
At least (30) people have lost their lives, and dozens are injured after a powerful earthquake struck Japan in the first days of the new year. Today, rescue teams are struggling to reach areas where buildings collapsed, roads were damaged, and tens of thousands of homes lost electricity.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported more than (140) earthquakes since the earthquake occurred for the first time yesterday. The agency warned of the possibility of more strong tremors in the coming days and ordered the evacuation of more than (51) thousand people in (5) provinces.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), most of these earthquakes exceeded a magnitude of (3), and residents felt (6) additional strong tremors this morning.
The earthquake, initially reported to be of magnitude (7.6) yesterday afternoon, prompted residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground. Tsunami waves hit the western coast of Japan, sweeping some cars and houses into the sea.
Thousands of army personnel, firefighters, and police officers from across the country were sent to the most relatively remote damaged area in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture.
However, rescue efforts faced challenges due to severe damage to some roads and their closure. Authorities say they are having difficulty assessing the full extent of the damage.
Many railway services, ferry traffic, and flights to the region were suspended. The Japan Broadcasting Corporation reported the closure of Noto Airport due to damage to its runway and other facilities.
According to Reuters, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during an emergency meeting today: “Search and rescue operations for earthquake victims are a race against time.”
Kishida stated that rescue teams are facing extreme difficulty in reaching the northern edge of the Noto Peninsula due to road damage. Aerial surveys revealed numerous fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Authorities in Ishikawa confirmed the death of (30) people due to the earthquake so far, half of them in the severely affected city of Wajima near the earthquake’s epicenter.
The Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency said that firefighters are battling fires in several cities and trying to free more people trapped under collapsed buildings.
