2024-01-03 11:21:42
The number of deaths caused by 7.6-magnitude earthquake that shook the western coast of central Japan on Monday (1st) it rose to 73, local authorities reported this Wednesday (3), as rescue efforts intensify to find survivors under the rubble.
In cities such as Wajima, Noto and Suzu, all close to the epicenter of the earthquake, municipalities increased estimates of the number of collapsed houses, which is why rescue devices were also multiplied before the 72-hour limit was reached, after which It’s almost impossible to find people alive.
In Wajima, one of the most affected, 39 people died, while 23 died in Suzu, five in Nanao, two in Anamizu, two in Noto, one in Hakui and one in Shiga.
Local authorities also warned of people still missing in other parts of Ishikawa Prefecture, where rescue efforts continue, while the number of injured reported today is 323, including serious and minor injuries, also in this area.
During a meeting to manage the situation held today, local police reported having received 121 reports of people or groups in need of rescue who have not yet been able to be assisted, according to state broadcaster NHK.
Until yesterday, around 1,000 military personnel had been mobilized in the province, in addition to 22 planes and 8 ships for rescue activities and collecting information about damage, but Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, said today that he will double the number of troops in the coming hours, in addition to sending firefighters and police officers from across the country.
The earthquake that hit the Noto peninsula — an area known to have active faults — had its epicenter 30 km northeast of Wajima and reached level 7 on the Japanese closed scale of 7, which focuses on the destructive power of the tremor.
This earthquake, the most devastating in Japan since the 2016 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture (which left more than 200 people dead), is the first level 7 earthquake to be recorded in the country since 2018, when a tremor of this magnitude hit the island of Hokkaido .
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