TOKYO – The death toll in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa has risen to 100 after a series of earthquakes of up to 7.6-magnitude struck the prefecture and its vicinity, raising fears of escalating casualties despite increased rescue and search efforts, reported Xinhua.
As of today, 211 people have been reported missing in Ishikawa, according to local media reports citing local authorities.
On the sixth day of the earthquake, the most-affected coastal city of Wajima confirmed 59 deaths, with about 100 reports of people being buried or trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Aftershocks still jolt the region, and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said a 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit the Noto region at 5.25am local time today at a depth of 10km, measuring upper 5 on the country’s seismic intensity scale of 7.
With rain expected today for the region, the JMA warned local residents to stay alert for possible mudslides.
Infrastructure has suffered severe damage in Ishikawa, with around 24,000 households facing power outages and 66,000 households left without water in 14 cities and towns as of 8am local time today, national news agency Kyodo reported.
A series of strong earthquakes, with a major one of 7.6-magnitude, struck at a shallow depth in the Noto region of Ishikawa on Monday.
Centred around 30km east-northeast of Wajima, the devastating quake registered a maximum intensity of 7. – January 6, 2024