At least 202 people were confirmed dead as the result of earthquakes in Japan as police launched a search of the Wajima Morning Market which was leveled by a fire caused by the quake. Photo by Jiji Press/EPA-EFE
More than 200 people were confirmed dead in Japan as a result of a devastating New Year’s Day earthquake as police launched a search in the hard-hit city of Wajima.
The Ishikawa Prefecture government said 202 people were confirmed dead and 102 remained missing as more than 100 police personnel searched the ruins of the Wajima Morning Market that was burned in a deadly blaze sparked by the earthquake. Advertisement
At least 81 deaths were reported in Wajima but the number of missing people was still unclear as police searched the area where more than 200 buildings were destroyed.
Overall, the number of missing people declined from 323 on Monday morning as prefecture officials said they had determined more than 200 of those were found safe.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces said about 5,400 members took part in rescue efforts this past weekend but feared that looming inclement weather could slow their work.
The prefectural government said at least 3,300 people in Wajima and the nearby city of Suzu were out of reach due to roads destroyed by the quake and snowy weather.
“There are people who are still waiting for help and do not know if they are safe or not,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a disaster management staff meeting. “There are people who are growing anxious in isolated villages. Advertisement
“There are families who continue to pray for the safety of their loved ones. Resolve the situation in isolated [communities] as soon as possible and continue the tenacious rescue effort.”
Prefecture officials said 58,000 homes still had no running water and 15,000 residences had no electricity more than a week after the earthquake, leading Kishida to call on residents to stay in their homes until aid arrived.
