Death toll from earthquake in Japan rises to 30 as rescue efforts continue

MADRID, 2 (EUROPA PRESS)

The provisional death toll from the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that shook the west coast of Japan during New Year's Day has risen to 30, while authorities continue rescue efforts after an earthquake that has caused significant material damage.

Most of the victims have been recorded in the city of Wajima (15), in Ishikawa prefecture, although there are also deaths in Suzu (6), Nanao (5), Anamizu (2), Hakui (1) and Shika ( 1), although the effects extend to the prefectures of Niigata, Fukui, Toyama and Gifu, as reported by the news agency Kiodo News.

Authorities have rushed to assess the damage, but continued aftershocks (some 130 aftershocks have been recorded) and debris have hampered rescue efforts. As a result of the earthquake, several buildings collapsed and a large-scale fire broke out near a market in Wajima in which around 200 buildings were burned.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has lifted the tsunami warning, hours after suspending the "major tsunami alert", although it has urged the population to be careful at sea because the tide level is likely to change over the next few days. . The earthquake has also affected the transportation network and some bullet train lines and flights in the area have been suspended.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has convened a "disaster emergency response headquarters" under his leadership and announced the mobilization of the country's security and emergency forces, while confirming "extremely large-scale damage, including numerous human casualties, building collapses and fires."

"The first thing we need to do is understand the situation on the ground. We have been doing our best since last night to gather information, but due to road closures, it is extremely difficult to enter the northern part of the Noto Peninsula," he explained. .

Kishida, who has put the number of soldiers participating in the rescue operations at one thousand, has stated that "as time passes, the effect of the disaster becomes increasingly clear" and has warned that "saving the lives of victims of the disaster is a race against time.

The earthquake, with a hypocenter around ten kilometers deep, was the most intense of the chain of 20 earthquakes recorded between 08:06 and 09:29 (Spanish peninsular time) in the vicinity of the coast of Ishikawa and the neighboring prefecture of Niigata. .