The death toll in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa has risen to 128 days after a series of earthquakes of up to 7.6 magnitude struck the prefecture and its surroundings, according to authorities.
In addition, 560 people in Ishikawa were injured as a result of the quakes, with 195 residents still missing as of 2 p.m. local time as rescue operations continued in the quake-hit areas, according to local authorities.
A woman in her 90s was pulled from a collapsed house in Suzu City, Ishikawa prefecture, at around 8:20 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to Xinhua news agency.
An elderly woman who was rescued 124 hours after Monday’s powerful earthquake has recovered, according to a doctor.
According to the emergency rescue team, people are rarely rescued more than 72 hours after the quake, as the chance of survival in a disaster drops significantly after the first three days.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Sunday that the government will declare the quake a specified emergency disaster in order to give those affected preferential treatment, such as extending the validity period of driver’s licenses and deferring bankruptcy proceedings.
Heavy snowfall is expected to blanket disaster-hit areas in Japan, causing traffic disruptions, with Ishikawa expected to receive up to 60 cm of snow by Monday morning.
According to Kyodo News, the prefectural government plans to temporarily close major roads in the event of heavy snow accumulation, which could impede the delivery of relief goods to those affected by the disaster.
The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake will be the first in Japan to kill more than 100 people since the 2016 Kumamoto quakes in the country’s southwestern region, which killed 276 people.
