The strong weather conditions and the cold of winter hamper the emergency response to the earthquake, which shook eastern Japan during the first day of 2024. So far it is known that it left at least 62 dead, hundreds injured and damaged roads. . There is an alert for possible landslides. The Japanese Government has declared national mourning and increased the presence of rescuers in the most affected areas.
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Rescue efforts are advancing after the earthquake on January 1st, but concern is increasing about the increase in victims due to the constant aftershocks and the weather conditions, which have occurred in the last few hours in Japan.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a warning of heavy rains in the Noto region, in Ishikawa, in the east of the country and the epicenter of the earthquake, which it classified as magnitude 7.6, forcing rescue operations to be expedited. since landslides could occur.
The Noto peninsula was the most affected with several buildings consumed by fire and numerous homes completely destroyed.
The mayor of the coastal city of Suzu, Masuhiro Izumiya, described the situation as “truly catastrophic”, after stating that about 90% of the houses are completely destroyed. He also reported that more than 31,800 people are in shelters.
More measures to help
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government is preparing for an emergency meeting to continue coordinating the response to the tragedy in this area and noted that the situation is a “race against time” due to the number of people trapped in buildings. collapsed and damaged roads, which have made it difficult to transport rescuers.
The state broadcaster NHK assured that around 1,000 rescuers, 22 planes and eight ships have been deployed to carry out rescue operations and assess damage in the region.
So far almost 34,000 homes remain without electricity in Ishikawa and several cities are without water supply, according to state broadcaster NHK.
Rescue personnel are expected to double in size over the next few hours, along with firefighters and police across the country in a race against time, as the 72-hour limit from the disaster and the chances of finding people alive approach. decrease significantly.
After several hours of suspending their service, bullet trains and highways have reopened, although thousands of people were stranded for more than 24 hours due to the effects of the earthquake and the tsunami warning, which has already been eliminated.
One of the strongest earthquakes in recent years in Japan
The epicenter of the earthquake, which was located 30 kilometers northeast of the city of Wajima, on the Noto peninsula, had a depth of 10 kilometers, in an area that is known to host active faults.
The JMA placed the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.6, while the United States Geological Survey recorded it at 7.5.
Japan is a country accustomed to hundreds of earthquakes every year. However, this is the most devastating since the one that occurred in 2016 in Kumamoto prefecture, which left more than 200 dead.
In any case, it cannot be compared with the magnitude of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which left more than 15,000 dead and triggered one of the worst nuclear disasters at the Fukushima plant.
With Reuters and EFE
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