The number of people whose fate cannot be determined after a series of strong earthquakes that occurred on January 1 in the Japanese Ishikawa Prefecture has increased to 79.
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Initially it was reported that 80 people were not contacted, but it was later clarified that one person was counted twice.
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It was previously reported that rescue services and local authorities were unable to contact 51 people to confirm their safety. In particular, in the city of Wajima alone, 40 to 50 reports of building collapses where people could be present were received.
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During a press conference on Thursday morning, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida again called on all involved services to take all measures to search and rescue people. He also stressed the importance of immediately delivering food, blankets, fuel, water and other essential supplies to the affected areas.
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On Monday afternoon, a series of powerful earthquakes occurred in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture. They were given the name “Earthquake on the Noto Peninsula”. The magnitude of the most powerful of them was 7.6. Following the earthquakes, some areas on the west coast of Japan were threatened with a large tsunami.
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According to the latest data, the death toll from the earthquakes has reached 78, and over 100 people were injured. At the same time, the number of victims and injured may increase, as people may be under the rubble of collapsed houses. To complicate the situation, a warning has been issued for heavy rainfall in the region, which could trigger further landslides.
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The tremors led to the destruction of houses and a halt in the movement of high-speed trains, cutting off electricity in more than 32 thousand houses. In some regions there is a blackout of water supply and communications. Damage to the road surface was recorded. No failures in the operation of the nuclear power plant were detected. Almost a day later, high-speed train traffic was restored in all directions.
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The earthquake on January 1, 2024 was the most powerful for the Noto Peninsula region since 1885, when such statistics began to be kept.
