Emergency workers in Japan grappled with harsh weather conditions on Wednesday as they continued to search for survivors of Monday's devastating earthquake that has left at least 73 dead according to a provisional death toll.
Along the damaged roads, where sinkholes and fallen trees disrupt travel, large signs warn of potential landslides. Authorities have been urging caution due to heavy rainfall since Wednesday morning that has affected the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, a long, thin piece of land jutting out into the Sea of Japan.
Rescue vehicles struggled to clamber over roads blocked by large rocks and uprooted trees. “Stay alert for landslides until Wednesday evening,” warned the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Following New Year’s earthquake, the Noto Peninsula and its port cities, Wajima and Suzu, now resemble war zones. The disaster, which hit the area at 16:10 (08:10 Belgian time) on Monday, reached a magnitude of 7.5 according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) and 7.6 according to the JMA.
Several hundred aftershocks, some also powerful, have occurred since the initial earthquake. Monday’s resulting tsunami, with waves reaching over a metre, swept away numerous boats, now on quaysides or coastal roads.
Thousands of buildings on the Noto Peninsula have been completely or partially destroyed by the disaster and are still at risk from aftershocks, complicating rescue operations. Each new alert necessitates an emergency evacuation of the rubble by rescuers.
Regional authorities reported 73 deaths and almost 400 injuries on Wednesday, but the death toll is expected to rise.
