Japan: In Ishikawa prefecture, Japanese rescuers are still looking for survivors of the earthquake, but officials have warned that prolonged downpours, landslides, and strong aftershocks could make relief efforts more difficult.
On Wednesday, the regional government announced that more than 300 people had been hurt, 20 of them critically and that 62 deaths had been confirmed. It forewarned that there would probably be more deaths.
The 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on Monday afternoon caused parts of neighbouring Wajima City to burn severely and destroyed homes in Suzu on the northern coast. Additionally, it destroyed roads, making search-and-rescue operations more difficult.
“More than 40 hours have passed since the disaster. We have received a lot of information about people in need of rescue and there are people waiting for help,” Prime Minister, Mr. Fumio Kishida, said after an emergency task force meeting.
“Rescue efforts are being made by the local authorities, police, firefighters, and other operational units, while the number of personnel and rescue dogs is enhanced,” Mr. Kishida added.
Since the roads had become nearly impassable, Mr. Kishida stated that the central government was attempting to send relief by ship to the areas of the Noto Peninsula that were most severely damaged. According to the Kyodo news agency, helicopters were also being used by Japan’s Self-Defence Forces to reach villages that were cut off.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that strong rain was predicted, which could raise the risk of landslides and complicate the relief effort.
TRENDING | XpoSat: A journey to unveil mysteries of black holes
