The strong earthquake that struck central Japan on January 1 left at least 161 people dead, while 103 people are still missing, according to a new toll announced by local authorities on Monday morning.
The 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which caused landslides and was followed by a tsunami, injured about 560 people, according to a statement issued by Ishikawa Prefecture, the most affected by the disaster.
Rescue workers are continuing their efforts to search for people who are still missing or isolated due to roads damaged by the earthquake and to deliver food supplies and equipment to those affected.
The cold weather complicates the rescue workers' mission.
On Saturday, relief teams were able to rescue a ninety-year-old woman from the wreckage of the earthquake, but rescue operations were difficult on Sunday due to snowfall.
This is the first earthquake to kill more than 100 people in Japan since the devastating earthquake that struck Kumamoto (southwest) and left 276 dead in 2016.
Japan is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and is one of the countries frequently struck by earthquakes.
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