Japanese Earthquake Leaves 94 Dead, 222 Still Missing

Japanese rescuers are facing challenges in their search for 222 people still missing after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Ishikawa region on New Year’s Day.

The death toll has neared 100, with hopes of finding survivors diminishing due to bad weather, damaged roads, and forecasts of rain, snow, and falling temperatures.

Thousands of rescuers from across Japan are contending with aftershocks and difficult conditions, including blocked roads and frequent landslides.

Two elderly women were miraculously rescued from the rubble in Wajima on Thursday, but the overall situation remains grim.

The port city of Wajima, among the hardest-hit areas, still bears the aftermath of the disaster, with a pungent smell of soot and signs of a large fire that destroyed numerous structures.

As of Friday afternoon, 222 people were still unaccounted for, down from an earlier count of 242. The death toll has been raised to 94, with 464 people reported injured.

The affected region faces challenges such as power outages for around 30,000 households, water shortages for 89,800 homes, and the need for government shelters for hundreds of people.

Rescue operations are underway in isolated villages, but the challenges of isolation persist.

The earthquake has left its mark on various towns, such as Anamizu, where residents, including Vietnamese nationals, are struggling without heating or water in damaged houses.

The Suzu area has also faced devastation, with reports of fishing boats sunk or lifted onto the shore by tsunami waves.

Emotional stories emerge, such as Noriaki Yachi’s loss of his wife, who was pulled from the rubble and confirmed dead.

While earthquakes are common in Japan, the Noto region has experienced escalating seismic activity over the past five years.

The country still grapples with the memory of the massive 9.0 magnitude quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami and resulted in one of the worst nuclear disasters at the Fukushima plant.