Wajima- Japanese rescuers are racing “against time” to find survivors of the violent earthquake that shook the center of the country on New Year’s Day and left at least 50 dead and enormous damage.
The powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Ishikawa prefecture on the Noto peninsula on the main island of Honshu on Monday and left at least 50 dead, but the toll could rise as many people are trapped.
In Noto the earthquake demolished houses, started fires, sank fishing boats and caused landslides.
“Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous victims, collapsed buildings and fires,” said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“We have to race against time to search and rescue the victims,” he added.
Aerial shots showed the devastation of a fire at the port of Wajima, where a seven-story building collapsed.
Most homes in the coastal city of Suzu collapsed, according to officials cited by the Kyodo agency.
“The situation is devastating, 90% of the homes have been completely or partially destroyed,” said Suzu Mayor Masuhiro Izumiya.
More than 30,000 homes are without power in the area, which saw frigid temperatures overnight, the power company said. Many cities did not have drinking water.
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake shook Ishikawa, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. According to Japanese authorities, the magnitude of the tremor was 7.6.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) indicated that 155 aftershocks were recorded after the earthquake, mostly with magnitudes greater than 3.
The damage caused by the earthquakes mainly affected old houses, which are usually made of wood.
Source: Ambito
