The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Japan on New Year’s Day has climbed to 73, with rescue operations entering the fourth day. The hardest-hit region, Ishikawa prefecture, reported all the casualties, primarily on the Noto peninsula. Over 33,000 people have evacuated their homes, and about 100,000 houses are without water supply.
Rescue teams are working tirelessly to free those trapped under collapsed buildings amid freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall. Weather forecasts predict further rain in Ishikawa, raising concerns about landslides and additional damage to already vulnerable structures.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that the government has opened a sea route for aid delivery, and larger trucks can now access some remote areas. However, severed roads and the isolated location of the hardest-hit areas are complicating relief efforts.
The full extent of damage and casualties remains unclear, making this the deadliest earthquake in Japan since at least 2016. Despite facing hundreds of earthquakes annually, Japan remains haunted by the traumatic 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster that claimed around 18,500 lives.