94 dead and 242 missing in Japan earthquake

Local prefectural authorities Japanese Ishikawahardest hit by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake this Monday, today the death toll has risen to 94 and the missing to 242, with little hope of finding more survivors.

The cities with the most missing people are the two cities most affected by the earthquake; Wajima and Suzuwhere numerous houses have been confirmed to have collapsed and rescue efforts are continuing despite the fact that the 72-hour deadline has already passed after which it is very difficult to find survivors.

Japan Coast Guard Since Thursday, a plane and ship have also been searching for people who could have been swept away by the tsunami – tidal surges of up to 1.2 meters were recorded – caused by the earthquake that struck central Japan at the beginning of the week ., after receiving reports from witnesses.

Experts also warned of aftershocks this week and next that could be strong, with rain hitting the area that could trigger landslides and hamper rescue efforts.

IN Wajima, At least 55 people died, while 23 died in Suzu, and municipalities such as Hakui, Noto or Anamizu together accounted for more than a dozen.

The good news of the day was the live rescue of an 80-year-old woman in Suzu, who was found under the rubble of her house by a firefighter rescue dog from Osaka (western Japan) named Jennifer.

To date, deployment of members National Police Agency (NPA) in the region reaches 1,100, while the number of soldiers in the Self-Defense Forces (army) has doubled to almost 5,000.

As of today, more than 30,000 people remain evacuated to 370 different shelters in Ishikawa, where about 160 people are still without communication due to road damage.

On the other hand, around 27,000 homes in the region remain without electricity, and 68,000 without water.

Monday’s quake, which struck the Noto Peninsula – an area known to have active faults – had its epicenter 30 kilometers northeast of Wajima and reached a level 7 on Japan’s closed scale of 7, which focuses on the destructive power of earthquakes.

This witheism It already appears to be Japan’s most devastating since the 2011 magnitude 9 earthquake that triggered a tsunami that left more than 20,000 dead and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the worst since Chernobyl (Ukraine) in 1986.