Japan quake survivors face freezing rain, threat of landslides

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

earthquake in western Japan that killed at least 65, while evacuees continued to wait for further aid amid freezing temperatures and heavy rain.

The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck the Noto peninsula on New Year's Day, levelling houses and cutting off remote areas from aid.

Heavy rain was forecast in the quake-hit areas on Wednesday, raising fears of landslides that could further hinder efforts to free many more people still trapped under rubble.

Severed roads, damaged infrastructure, and the remote location of the hardest-hit areas have complicated rescue efforts. The full extent of damage and casualties remains unclear two days after the quake.

Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed extensive damage in coastal areas, revealing destroyed buildings and capsized boats.

In Suzu, a town of about 13,000 people near the quake's epicentre, 90% of houses may have been destroyed, its mayor said on Tuesday, calling the damage «catastrophic».

Ishikawa prefecture has confirmed 65 deaths, up from 55 late on Tuesday, making the earthquake the deadliest in Japan since at least 2016. Some cities have reported additional deaths, putting the total number of fatalities at 73, according to Kyodo news agency.

Smaller quakes continue to hit the peninsula.
Firefighters from Osaka and Nara prefectures pressed on despite the rain and aftershocks in hard-hit Wajima city, searching for a woman trapped in a wooden structure squashed by a seven-floor building that toppled over in the quake and landed on its side.
The rescuers were removing rubble to try to reach the woman, who was not showing any vital signs, a firefighter said.

They dashed out from under