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According to authorities, half of the fatalities have been confirmed in the hard-hit Wajima city near the epicentre of the earthquake.
More than 40 people were killed when a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on New Year’s Day, with rescuers still struggling to reach remote locations where buildings had collapsed to look for possible survivors on Tuesday.
The mid-afternoon earthquake on Monday prompted residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground as tsunami waves hit Japan’s west coast, sweeping some cars and houses into the sea.
Thousands of army, firefighter, and police officers have been dispatched to the devastated Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, but rescue efforts are hampered by damaged roads and the difficulty of determining the full extent of the damage.
Many trains, ferries, and flights into the area have been halted. According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, Noto airport has been closed due to damage to its runway, terminal, and access roads, leaving 500 people stranded inside cars in its parking lot.
“The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting on Tuesday, adding that helicopter surveys had discovered many fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
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Authorities in Ishikawa said 45 people had died as a result of the earthquake, with half of those killed in the hard-hit Wajima city near the epicentre, with the death toll expected to rise, according to Reuters.
According to Japan’s fire and disaster management agency, firefighters have been battling blazes in several cities and attempting to free more people trapped in collapsed buildings.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, over 140 tremors have been detected since the quake struck on Monday, and more powerful shocks are possible in the coming days.
A local said nearly 20 people were in her house for a New Year’s Eve celebration when the earthquake struck, but they all escaped unharmed.
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“It all happened in the blink of an eye,” she told me.
Several world leaders sent condolence messages, with US President Joe Biden saying in a statement that Washington was ready to assist Japan in any way necessary
“Our thoughts are with the Japanese people during this difficult time,” he added.
On Monday night, the Japanese government evacuated approximately 100,000 people, relocating them to sports halls and school gymnasiums.
Many people returned home on Tuesday, but 33,000 households in Ishikawa prefecture were still without power after temperatures dropped below freezing.
According to NHK, most areas in the northern Noto peninsula lack water supply as well.
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