Japanese rescue workers are desperately searching for survivors trapped beneath rubble after a series of powerful earthquakes in the region has left at least 62 people dead.
Aftershocks continued to shake the Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas two days after a 7.6 magnitude quake tore through the area, triggering a tsunami and ripping apart major roads and infrastructure.
Water, power and mobile phone service were still down in some areas, with several hundred buildings in nearby towns Wakimi and Suzu completely flattened or ravaged by fires.
Of the confirmed deaths, 29 were counted in Wajima city, while 22 people died in Suzu, with government sources confirming that more than 300 people were still injured, 20 of them seriously.
More than 31,800 people are taking refuge in shelters, the government said. Meanwhile, Japanese media reports say tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed.
But although casualty numbers are expected to increase gradually, the prompt public warnings, relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appear to have limited some of the damage.
Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specialising in disasters, said people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock.
‘There are probably no people on Earth who are as disaster-ready as the Japanese,’ he told The Associated Press.
Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
1,000 Japanese soldiers have been dispatched to the disaster zones to assist in rescue efforts. It is unclear how many more victims may still be trapped and the first 72 hours following a disaster are considered the most crucial to save lives.
Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. A major quake and tsunami in 2011 caused three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in north-eastern Japan.
‘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,’ said prime minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday after an emergency taskforce 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.
‘However, we ask you to remain fully mindful that we are in a race against time and to continue to do your utmost to save lives, putting people’s lives first,’ he added.
Weather forecasters have predicted heavy rain, sparking concerns that rescue efforts could be hampered by landslides and crumbling infrastructure.
Meanwhile, in the coastal city of Suzu, mayor Masuhiro Izumiya said there were ‘almost no houses standing’.
‘About 90% of the houses [in the town] are completely or almost completely destroyed … the situation is really catastrophic,’ he told local media.
On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido.
The warning was downgraded several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early on Tuesday. Waves measuring more than one metre (three feet) hit some places.
Still, half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in, leaving a muddied coastline.
People were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums, schools and community centres. Bullet trains in the region were halted, but service was mostly restored. Sections of highways were closed.
Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and the vast majority cause no damage.
But the number of earthquakes in the region has been steadily increasing since 2018, according to a recent government report.
The region includes tourist spots famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts, along with designated cultural heritage sites.
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