Current:Home > ScamsRescuers race against time in search for survivors in Japan after powerful quakes leave 62 dead -NextFrontier Finance
Rescuers race against time in search for survivors in Japan after powerful quakes leave 62 dead
View
Date:2025-04-15 07:25:02
SUZU, Japan (AP) — Rescue workers and canine units urgently sifted through rubble Wednesday ahead of predicted freezing cold and heavy rain in what the prime minister called a race against time after powerful earthquakes in western Japan killed 62 people. Dozens are believed trapped under collapsed buildings.
Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas were rattled by a 4.9 magnitude aftershock early Wednesday — one of dozens of aftershocks that have followed Monday’s shallow magnitude 7.6 temblor with an epicenter at Noto, Ishikawa prefecture, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Tokyo on the opposite coast. The shaking set off tsunami warnings, followed by waves measuring more than 1 meter (3 feet) in some places.
The first 72 hours are especially critical, experts say, because the prospects for survival greatly diminish after three days.
“More than 40 hours have passed. This is a race against time, and I feel that we are at a critical moment,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. “We have received reports many people are still waiting for rescue under collapsed buildings.”
Noto’s narrow peninsula landscape has added to the challenges in reaching some communities. Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas.
“Hardly any of the homes are standing. They are either partially or totally destroyed,” said Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of neighboring Suzu city, which suffered heavy damage.
Relief officials handed out water, blankets, food and other supplies. Search dogs joined military personnel and firefighters trying to find and rescue dozens of people who are thought to be trapped, although the exact number is unclear.
Firefighters and rescue workers carry a body , in blue sheet, found from a collapsed house caused by powerful earthquake in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Weather forecasts warned of heavy rainfall in Ishikawa, leading to worries about landslides and further damage to half-crumbled homes. Temperatures were expected to drop to around 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
Of the deaths, 29 were counted in Wajima city, while 22 people died in Suzu, according to Ishikawa Prefectural authorities. Eleven deaths were reported scattered among other nearby towns, and two additional deaths were still awaiting official confirmation in Wajima, meaning the overall toll would likely grow to 64 people. Dozens of people have been seriously injured, including in nearby prefectures.
Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase encouraged everyone to use masks, antiseptic and soap to guard against the spread of infectious diseases as evacuees sheltered together. Ensuring adequate water supplies and bathroom services for those who were displaced is a priority, he said.
People on the coastline were already picking up the pieces, like Noto resident Kazuyuki Iwaike, who was deep in thought as he cleaned up his home. It was by sheer chance he had avoided death. He was not home when the tsunami that followed the earthquakes struck.
A firefighter walks through the rubble and wreckage of a burnt-out marketplace following earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
“I always thought it was someone else’s problem, thinking there is no way a tsunami would come,” he said.
Officials warned that things were unpredictable and it was possible that even bigger quakes could hit.
In the aftermath of the quakes and tsunami, boats lay overturned in water, roads were blocked by mounds of dirt, and shovels scooped scattered pillars and walls from flattened homes. A large fire turned an entire section of Wajima city into ashes.
As a quake-prone nation with crisscrossing fault lines and many volcanoes, Japan has had its share of disasters, including a quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in northeastern Japan in 2011.
Several nuclear plants in the region raised concern, although no major problems or rise in radiation levels have been reported. Shika nuclear plant in Ishikawa suffered partial electricity failure, but backup power kicked in, ensuring the critical cooling process continued.
Bystanders look at damages somewhere near Noto town in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan, northwest of Tokyo, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, following Monday’s deadly earthquake. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Japan is an organized, conformist and relatively crime-free society, where warnings are systematically relayed as a public service. Disaster experts say that’s helping save lives.
The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted tsunami warnings Tuesday.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined United States President Joe Biden and other world leaders in expressing sympathy for the Japanese.
“Our hearts go out to our friends in Japan,” Albanese said. “We will provide, and have offered, whatever support is requested by our friends in Japan.”
___
Kageyama reported from Tokyo. Richard Columbo in Suzu, Haruka Nuga in Bangkok and Rod McGuirk in Sydney contributed.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
veryGood! (9)
Related
- USA men's volleyball mourns chance at gold after losing 5-set thriller, will go for bronze
- Book excerpt: Roctogenarians by Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg
- Political newcomer who blew whistle on Trump faces experienced foes in Democratic primary
- Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian’s Teen Son Mason Is All Grown Up While Graduating Middle School
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- MLB Misery Index: White Sox manager Pedro Grifol on the hot seat for MLB's worst team
- Donald Trump joined TikTok with a UFC appearance video. He tried to ban the app as POTUS
- Maps show how Tornado Alley has shifted in the U.S.
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- The Bachelorette's Rachel Lindsay Shares Why She Regrets Not Having Prenup With Ex Bryan Abasolo
Ranking
- Former Milwaukee hotel workers charged with murder after video shows them holding down Black man
- Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg honor 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy
- Wingstop employee accused of killing manager, shooting another worker after argument
- Save 62% on Athleta, 50% on IT Cosmetics, 60% on Pottery Barn & 95 More of This Weekend's Best Deals
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Southern Baptists poised to ban congregations with women pastors
- Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul has been rescheduled for Nov. 15 after Tyson’s health episode
- 2024 NBA Finals: ESPN's Doris Burke makes history in Game 1 of Mavericks vs. Celtics
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
New Hunger Games book announced for 2025 — 4 years after last release
'You can judge me all you want': California mom's refusal to return shopping cart goes viral
Holocaust survivor finds healing through needle and thread
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
Boeing’s astronaut capsule arrives at the space station after thruster trouble
Biden warns about price of unchecked tyranny as he vows to continue to help Ukraine
Get Starbucks delivered: Coffee giant announces new partnership with GrubHub