TOKYO – At least 62 people were killed in the powerful earthquake that jolted the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan on New Year’s Day, with rubble and severed roads still preventing search and rescue operations on Wednesday.
Two days have passed since the magnitude-7.6 quake caused extensive structural damage and fires in the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, but the full extent of the situation remains unknown.
With intermittent rain expected through Thursday in the disaster-hit areas of the prefecture, in which some villages remain cut off, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of potential mudslides.
Tsunami warnings covering extensive areas along the Sea of Japan were lifted Tuesday morning, after the highest wave of around 1.2 meters reached Wajima Port on Monday night following the 4:10 p.m. quake.
Footage taken by the public broadcaster NHK on Tuesday morning showed a seven-story building toppled over sideways and fires still blazing in a central area of Wajima known for its morning market.
Fires have engulfed over 200 structures, but chances of them spreading further are slim, Ishikawa prefectural officials said.
“It is extremely difficult for vehicles to enter northern areas of the Noto Peninsula,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference, adding the central government has been coordinating shipment of relief supplies using ships.
About 1,000 Self-Defense Force personnel are engaged in rescue and relief operations, Kishida said.
The Japanese Imperial Household Agency has canceled a public New Year greeting event planned for Tuesday to be attended by Emperor Naruhito and his family members in the wake of a major earthquake that hit Ishikawa Prefecture and the vicinity.
The agency said Monday it has decided, based on the thoughts of the emperor and Empress Masako, not to go ahead with the Tokyo event out of consideration for the damage caused by the earthquake.
During the annual event, the imperial family members extend New Year greetings to well-wishers and wave to them from behind glass on a balcony at the Imperial Palace in the capital.
The earthquake was centered around 30 kilometers east-northeast of Wajima with a provisional depth of 16 km, registering a maximum 7 on the country’s seismic intensity scale, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
A level-7 quake is described as making it impossible for people to remain standing. Such a temblor was last recorded in 2018 in Hokkaido, the weather agency said.
The Associated Press reported that people who were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums, schools and community centers. Bullet trains in the region were halted, but service was being restored in some places. Sections of highways were closed, water pipes burst, and cellphone service was out in some areas.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration was “ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.”
Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
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