55 people are killed in the Japan earthquake as the military joins the relief effort.
Japan mobilized 10,000 of its military forces to assist in rescue and relief operations on New Year’s Day, following a devastating earthquake that struck the west coast, resulting in at least 55 fatalities and dozens of injuries. 55 people are killed in the Japan earthquake as the military joins the relief effort.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated on Tuesday that authorities faced a “battle against time” to respond to the emergency, given the clearer image of the devastation made possible by daylight and the lifting of the tsunami warnings issued the night before.
Read more: A 7.6 Earthquake In Japan Traps People In Homes That Have Collapsed.
“Starting tonight, we will intensify our endeavors to ensure the timely delivery of essential supplies and personnel to the affected regions through the complete mobilization of air and sea routes in addition to land transportation,” Kishida explained.
Rescuers conducted a search for survivors in the rubble of over a hundred burning residences and the remains of a seven-story structure that had collapsed and was partially submerged in the earthquake and its aftershocks.
Significant damage to roads and other infrastructure has impeded their efforts, particularly in the most severely affected region of the Noto peninsula in central Japan.
Japan mobilized 10,000 of its military forces to assist in rescue and relief operations on New Year’s Day, following a devastating earthquake that struck the west coast, resulting in at least 55 fatalities and dozens of injuries.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated on Tuesday that authorities faced a “battle against time” to respond to the emergency, given the clearer image of the devastation made possible by daylight and the lifting of the tsunami warnings issued the night before.
“Starting tonight, we will intensify our endeavors to ensure the timely delivery of essential supplies and personnel to the affected regions through the complete mobilization of air and sea routes in addition to land transportation,” Kishida explained.
Rescuers conducted a search for survivors in the rubble of over a hundred burning residences and the remains of a seven-story structure that had collapsed and was partially submerged in the earthquake and its aftershocks.
Significant damage to roads and other infrastructure has impeded their efforts, particularly in the most severely affected region of the Noto peninsula in central Japan. Almost two hundred aftershocks have added to the difficulty of restoring power and other essential infrastructure. Tens of thousands of Ishikawa residents continue to domicile in public buildings, including school gymnasiums.
During one of the most crowded holiday seasons in Japan, when families were celebrating the new year with large gatherings, the earthquake struck. Rail service remains disrupted, and authorities have announced that Noto’s airport, which is in close proximity to the epicenter of the earthquake, will be closed until Thursday at the latest.
Tuesday continued to see more than 33,000 powerless residences in the prefecture, as reported by the Hokuriku Electric Power Company. Others were without access to potable water, forcing individuals to rely on water vehicles and emergency tanks.
Ishikawa is home to 1.1 million inhabitants, a significant proportion of whom are elderly. Numerous villages and municipalities in Japan are dotted with an estimated 10 million vacant houses, the majority of which are in critical disrepair and thus more susceptible to collapse.
