Japan earthquake kills at least 57 people

Wajima (Japan) – A series of strong earthquakes that struck western Japan killed at least 62 people on Wednesday, as rescue workers sought to rescue those feared to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Aftershocks continued to rock Ishikawa Prefecture and surrounding areas a day after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the area.

The damage was so extensive that it could not be immediately assessed. Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed.

Water, electricity and mobile phone services are still disrupted in some areas. Residents expressed sadness about their uncertain future.

“It's not just about the chaos. The wall has collapsed and you can see through it into the next room. I don't think we can live here anymore,” Ishikawa resident Miki Kobayashi said as she walked around her house.

She added that the house was also damaged in the 2007 earthquake.

The latest two deaths came from Suzhou, where the death toll rose to 22 people, according to city officials. Twenty-four people died in the nearby city of Wajima.

Although casualty numbers continue to gradually rise, quick public warnings, broadcast via radio broadcasts and telephones, and rapid response from the public and officials appear to have limited some of the damage.

Toshitaka Katada, a professor at the University of Tokyo who specializes in disasters, said people are prepared because the area has been hit by earthquakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock.

“There are probably no people on Earth as prepared for disasters 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.

Katada warned that the situation remains risky and unpredictable. The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan was preceded by other earthquakes.

“This is not over yet,” Katada said.

Scientists' predictions have repeatedly been proven wrong, as happened with the 2016 earthquake in southwest Kumamoto, an area previously considered relatively earthquake-free.

“Overconfidence in the power of science is very dangerous. We are dealing with nature,” Katada said.

Aerial footage published by Japanese media showed widespread damage in the most affected areas, with landslides burying roads, throwing boats into the water, and a fire that reduced an entire section of Wajima city to ashes.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Tuesday that the Japanese army has sent 1,000 soldiers to disaster areas to participate in rescue efforts.

“Saving lives is our priority as we fight a battle against time,” he said. “It is crucial that people trapped in homes are rescued immediately.”

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he spoke. Earthquakes continued to shake the region, reaching more than 100 aftershocks during the past day.

Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. A major earthquake and tsunami in 2011 caused three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.

On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and low-level tsunami advisories or advisories for the rest of the west coast of Japan's main island of Honshu as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido.

The warning level was lowered several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early Tuesday. Waves exceeding a meter high hit some places.

However, the half-sunken ships remained floating in bays hit by the tsunami, leaving a muddy coastline.

People evacuated from their homes gathered in halls, schools and community centres. Express trains were halted in the area, but service was mostly restored Tuesday afternoon. Parts of highways were closed.

Meteorologists predicted rain, raising concerns about the collapse of buildings and infrastructure.

The region includes tourist areas famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts, in addition to designated cultural heritage sites.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration is “ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Japanese people.”

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Kageyama reported from Tokyo. Videographer Richard Colombo from Wajima contributed.

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