The death toll from a series of powerful earthquakes in Japan on New Year’s Day rose to 73 on Thursday, as the search for survivors under collapsed buildings continued for the fourth day.
The earthquakes, including a powerful one with a magnitude of 7.5, jolted the Noto Peninsula in the central prefecture of Ishikawa, causing buildings to collapse and tsunami warnings to be sent as far away as eastern Russia.
All the deaths have been reported in Ishikawa prefecture where the hardest hit Noto peninsula is located. More than 33,000 people have evacuated their homes and about 1,00,000 houses have no water supply, Reuters reported, citing the local government. More than 300 people have been injured, and at least 25 of them are in serious condition.
On Thursday, thousands of rescuers raced against the clock to free many more people still trapped under rubble amid freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall. Weather forecasts have warned of heavy rain in Ishikawa, leading to concerns about landslides and more damage to half-crumbled homes.
The full extent of damage and casualties remains unclear even three days after the quake, which is already the deadliest in Japan since at least 2016. Severed roads and the remote location of the hardest-hit areas have complicated relief operations in the island nation.
On Wednesday, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the government has opened a sea route to deliver aid and that some larger trucks were now able to reach some of the more remote areas.
“More than 40 hours have passed. This is a race against time, and I feel that we are at a critical moment,” Kishida told reporters, according to the Associated Press. “We have received reports many people are still waiting for rescue under collapsed buildings.”
Meanwhile, Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase has encouraged everyone to use masks, antiseptic and soap to guard against the spread of infectious diseases as evacuees shelter together.
“Ensuring adequate water supplies and toilets for those who were displaced is a priority,” he said, according to AP.
Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and the vast majority cause no damage. The island nation is haunted by a massive 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake off northeastern Japan in 2011 which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.