128 dead, 195 missing in Japan’s earthquake-hit Ishikawa Prefecture

Tokyo (Uttam Hindu News): The death toll in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa has reached 128, officials said. Six days earlier, earthquakes up to 7.6 magnitude had hit the prefecture and its surrounding area.

The earthquake caused injuries to 560 people in Ishikawa, with 195 residents in the prefecture still unaccounted for. According to local officials, rescue operations are going on in the earthquake affected areas.

A 90-year-old woman trapped under the debris was pulled out of a collapsed house in Suzu city of Ishikawa Prefecture at around 8:20 p.m., Xinhua news agency reported.

An elderly woman who was rescued 124 hours after Monday’s powerful earthquake has now recovered, a doctor said on Sunday.

According to emergency rescue teams, it is rare for people to be rescued more than 72 hours after an earthquake, as the chances of survival in a disaster decrease significantly after the first three days.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday that the government will designate the earthquake as a designated emergency disaster to give affected people preferential treatment, such as extending the validity period of driver’s licenses and postponing bankruptcy proceedings.

Japan’s weather agency has warned of traffic disruptions as heavy snowfall is expected in disaster-hit areas, with up to 60 cm of snow expected in Ishikawa by Monday morning.

Kyodo News said the prefectural government is planning to temporarily close major roads in case of heavy snow accumulation, which could potentially hinder the delivery of relief supplies to people affected by the disaster.