Local authorities in Japan said that the number of victims of the strong earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture and its surrounding areas in the center of the country exceeded two hundred.
Kyodo News Agency said that on Tuesday, local police began a large-scale search operation, with the participation of about 100 of its members, under the rubble of a market engulfed in flames in Wajima, where a large fire broke out following the earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale.
More than 28,000 people continue to remain in evacuation centers in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Deaths resulting from the earthquake, which registered a maximum of 7 on the country's earthquake intensity scale, were concentrated in Wajima and Suzu, while the actual number of missing people was not known due to conflicting information.
The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday agreed to allocate 4.74 billion yen ($33 million) in reserve funds in the fiscal 2023 budget to support victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake, including measures to help those affected deal with the cold weather.
Kishida said that his government also intends to increase the reserve funds allocated in the draft budget for the fiscal year that begins next April from the current 500 billion yen, to finance disaster recovery efforts.
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