At least 64 people were killed as a result of a powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan on the first day of the New Year, UNN reports with reference to Kyodo.
Details
Two days have passed since a 7.6-magnitude earthquake caused extensive damage and fires in the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture on the coast of the Sea of Japan, but the extent of the disaster remains unknown.
Japan's Meteorological Agency has warned of possible landslides as short-term rains are expected on Thursday in the disaster-affected areas of the prefecture, where some villages remain cut off from others.
Local authorities said they had received reports of several cases of people buried alive or trapped under collapsed buildings in the quake-affected areas, which continue to experience strong aftershocks.
Addendum
According to the agency, the New Year's Eve earthquake occurred about 30 km east-northeast of Wajima, at a depth of 16 km with the highest seismic intensity level of 7 on the Japanese scale. In the city, a seven-story building collapsed on its side.
According to descriptions, the 7-point earthquake left people unable to stand. According to the meteorological agency, the last time such an earthquake was recorded was in 2018 in Hokkaido.