Over 50 people were killed after a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake left a trail of destruction in Japan on New Year’s Day with rescuers battling against the clock and powerful aftershocks on Tuesday to find survivors.
The quake, which hit Ishikawa prefecture, caused tsunami waves over a metre high, toppled buildings, caused a major fire, and tore apart roads.
The scale of the destruction on the Noto Peninsula was evident on Tuesday, with buildings smouldering, and houses flattened, with additional destruction on the coast.
“It was such a powerful jolt,” a resident said while queuing with hundreds of others for water in the town of Shika. “What a terrible way to start the year.”
Thousands of army personnel, firefighters, and police officers have been sent to the devastated Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, but rescue efforts are hindered by damaged roads and difficulty in assessing the full extent of the aftermath.
Many rail services, ferries and flights into the area have been suspended. Noto airport has closed due to damage to its runway, terminal and access roads, with 500 people stranded inside cars in its parking lot, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
“The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting on Tuesday, adding that helicopter surveys had discovered many fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
The Japanese government evacuated around 100,000 people on Monday night, sending them to sports halls and school gymnasiums.
