By : Sandeep Dhand ,X
10 January 2024.
Japan had not yet recovered from the powerful New Year’s Day earthquake when on Tuesday January 9, the Japan Meteorological Agency again reported another 6.0 magnitude earthquake from central Japan. Meanwhile, the death toll from the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year’s Day rose to more than 200 on Tuesday, officials said. However, no tsunami warning has been issued yet. There was no immediate update on any casualties following the recent earthquake.
The earthquake on New Year’s Day caused buildings to collapse. The death toll reported by Ishikawa regional authorities came as thousands of rescue workers deployed to the region continued to battle blocked roads, snow and bad weather to clear debris.
Rescue operations have now been going on for eight days, as around 3,500 people are still trapped in isolated communities, conditions worsened by heavy snowfall in places. As of Monday (January 8), some 25-30 thousand people were living in some 300-400 government shelters struggling to provide adequate food, water and heating.
Japan’s prime minister on Tuesday (Jan 9) instructed ministers to “make efforts to resolve the isolation situation and continue intensive rescue operations.” He also appealed for secondary evacuation to other areas outside the quake-hit area, a top government spokesperson told reporters.