Japan Earthquake Fatality Count Climbs Over 50

Posted: January 3, 2024 9:15 am

The death toll continues to mount in Japan as rescuers race against the clock to locate survivors. Here is the latest on this dire situation.

Death Toll Increases as Rescuers Sift Through Rubble Left by Japan Earthquake

At least 57 fatalities had been confirmed by early Wednesday, almost 48 hours after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked the western coast of Japan. The earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula situated in the central Ishikawa prefecture. The natural disaster sent buildings to the ground and trapped people under the rubble.

One of the biggest concerns in the immediate hours after Monday’s earthquake were the tsunami implications. Although all of the tsunami warnings have since been lifted, local authorities caution that the advisories are still in place due to the possibility of powerful aftershocks.

Severely damaged roadways have created accessibility issues for crews to reach the areas that need the help most. It does not help that the Noto Peninsula is relatively secluded. Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed to the media on Tuesday that access had been cut off to the area thanks to damage to a major road.

Impacts of Earthquake Becoming More Clear

In addition to the structural damage, the earthquake also triggered landslides and large fires. The city of Wajima bore the brunt of the earthquake’s wrath. The central city along the coast is home to over 27,000 people. Officials with the city confirmed that 15 people are dead in this area.

Japan’s media agency NHK said that over 100 homes and businesses had been burned to the ground in Wajima after a fire ripped through the central area. The city also experienced tsunami waves that hit nearly 4 feet in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

Residents were sent fleeing to higher ground after tsunami sirens blared in Wajima and beyond. Local government officials said that over 27,700 people in Ishikawa had been evacuated to shelters as of Tuesday afternoon.

Fire and police teams worked through the night both Monday and Tuesday to try to reach survivors. Members of Japan’s Self Defense Forces were also on the ground to assist. Japan’s fire department confirmed that it had received reports of individuals trapped under collapsed buildings.

Widespread power outages were also complicating the rescue and cleanup efforts. Over 45,000 households in Ishikawa were still in the dark after the sun went down on Tuesday, according to numbers from Hokuriku Electric Power.

The country’s bullet train system grinded to a halt after the earthquake struck. Four of these trains stopped on the tracks, trapping almost 1,400 passengers for approximately 11 hours. The network was able to resume service on Tuesday morning. These high-speed trains were stranded between the metropolitan areas of Toyama and Kanazawa.

Monday’s event was the worst earthquake in Japan since 2011. That 9.0 magnitude earthquake created a tsunami that went on to trigger a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima power plant. This major earthquake was responsible for the deaths of approximately 19,300 people.

Aid Aircraft Crashes Into Jumbo Jet

Complicating the situation in Japan further was the collision of a Japan Airlines plane with a second aircraft operated by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). Five people died aboard the JCG De Havilland Canada DHC-8. The airplane’s captain was transported to the hospital and is in critical condition.

Remarkably, all of the crew members and passengers aboard the Airbus A350-900 aircraft survived the collision despite the plane bursting into flames upon impact. According to Japan Airlines, there were 367 passengers as well as 12 crew members aboard the Airbus when the accident happened at Tokyo’s Haneda airport at 5:47 pm local time. The airline said that 17 people requested medical treatment after the collision and subsequent evacuation of the aircraft.

The JCG crew had been dispatched to provide aid for victims of the earthquake. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the incident.

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