213 dead, 52 missing in Japan's quake-hit Ishikawa prefecture

Tokyo, Jan 11

The death toll from the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan's Ishikawa prefecture on January 1, increased to 213 on Thursday, with 52 people remaining unaccounted for, according to authorities.

As of Thursday morning, the number of injured people stood at 567, Xinhua news agency quoted Japanese public broadcaster NHK as saying.

In a breakdown of the death toll, 98 had been confirmed in Suzu, 83 in Wajima, 20 in Anamizu, five in Nanao, four in Noto, two in Shika and one in Hakui.

The prefectural government also confirmed eight disaster-related deaths, meaning that the victims survived the quakes but died due to deteriorating injuries or illnesses caused by physical and mental strain in the aftermath of the disaster.

In the affected areas, there is a heightened focus on the risk assessment of building collapses, with continuous rainfall since Tuesday, raising concerns about the potential for secondary hazards such as landslides, prompting the prefectural authorities to issue warnings.

As per the prefectural authorities, over 26,000 people are taking shelter in evacuation centres, amid surging spreading risks of infectious diseases such as Covid-19 and influenza.

Approximately 3,100 individuals, meanwhile, remain isolated due to road disruptions.

The January 1 temblor, officially named 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, is the first to kill more than 100 people in the country since the 2016 Kumamoto tremors in Japan's southwestern region, which claimed 276 lives.