Firefighters read over the rubble and debris of a burned-out market after a giant fire caused by earthquakes in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. (Kyodo News AP)
SUZU, Japan — Rescuers braved the dead in a race against time as they searched for survivors along Japan’s west coast on Thursday after a powerful earthquake last week destroyed homes and left at least 78 dead and 51 missing.
A downpour and possible snow were expected, raising the risk of landslides. A list of those officially missing released overnight grew from 15 to 51 people in three cities, including a 13-year-old boy. Some earlier reported missing have been found but more names were coming in, officials said.
Ishikawa Prefecture and nearby areas were rocked by more aftershocks, adding to the dozens that followed Monday’s magnitude-7. 6 quake centered near Noto, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Tokyo on the opposite coast. followed through waves measuring more than a meter (3 feet) in some places.
The first 72 hours are especially critical for rescues, experts say, because the chances of survival diminish after that.
“It’s been more than 40 hours. It’s a race against time and we’re at a critical juncture,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday.
On Thursday, he announced that the number of troops for rescue operations had increased from about 1,000 to 4,600.