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CatastropheJapan

Japan: Deaths from New Year's quake continue to mount

January 6, 2024

Some 100 have thus far been reported dead since the 7.6-magnitude quake, while over 200 are still missing. The search for survivors continued, amid dwindling hopes with each passing day.

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Police officers conduct a search operation around a burnt market in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.
The search for survivors under the rubble continued, with over 200 still unaccounted forImage: Kyodo News via AP/picture alliance

Japanese rescue workers continued on Saturday to search for survivors of the devastating, 7.6-magnitude earthquake which struck the west coast on New Year's day, killing so far some 100, with over 200 more still missing.

Japan quake toll rises as hopes for survivors fade

What do we know about the relief efforts?

Over 30,000 evacuees awaited aid, which has been at several occasions proving elusive, due to the level of destruction caused by the quake and its impact on aid routes.

Rescue workers searched for survivors under collapsed buildings, while some 23,000 homes were still without power.

Firefighters search for victims at a collapsed house in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture on January 6, 2024.
Rescuers are still combing the rubble for survivors, but almost a week after the quake the chances are dwindlingImage: The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images/picture alliance

Multiple aftershocks have consistently occurred and continue to be reported, cracking several roads in the area.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported one tremor at magnitude 5.2 on the coast of Ishikawa on Saturday morning, as well as several smaller shocks.

Officials warned the roads could completely collapse, especially with expected rain and snow over the weekend.

The highest number of deaths were recorded in Wajima city, standing at 59, with Suzu recording 23 deaths. Those injured surpassed 500 people, with at least 27 sustaining serious injuries.

The death toll is the highest for an earthquake disaster since 2016, when quakes in Kumamoto in southwestern Japan killed 276 people.

The country is among the most exposed to quakes on the planet, with most of its coastline near the tectonic fault lines that make up the Pacific "Ring of Fire," which in total accounts for roughly 90% of all the world's earthquakes.

rmt/msh (AP, Reuters)